When Shelly was assigned to her first case, the child had been in a kinship placement for some time. The foster parents were used to the status quo and not thrilled to have a new person involved. Nevertheless Shelly diligently fulfilled her role as a CASA, investing many hours in her case. As the child's trust in Shelly grew, the foster parent became even less enamored with Shelly and began to voice their dislike for her presence.

They began to block Shelly's visits, and attempted to interfere in her advocacy. Shelly became discouraged. As a new advocate she questioned her skills and whether the CASA role was a good fit for her. Our Executive Director explained that advocates are not always popular, but that her presences WAS making a difference in her CASA kid's life.

Ultimately, Shelly's faithfulness paid off. Her CASA child began to detail the abuse she was experiencing in her foster home. The child was removed and placed in a new loving foster home. Several months later this young lady was adopted into her forever family. We sometimes wonder what would've happened if Shelly had quit?