CASA of Collin County Chief Philanthropy Officer Jessica Dunn shows gifts collected for children being served by the nonprofit. Courtesy photo

When a child is removed from an unsafe home, they lose more than a place to live. They lose familiar routines, classrooms, friendships and, often, contact with siblings — all in a matter of hours. For thousands of children across North Texas, that upheaval marks the beginning of a long and uncertain journey through the foster care system.

More than 30,000 infants, youth and teens are currently in foster care in Texas. Through no fault of their own, these children have experienced trauma at home, followed by the disruption of being placed elsewhere — often far from parents, siblings, schools and support systems they know.

For many of those children, a Court Appointed Special Advocate — known as a CASA volunteer — becomes the one consistent adult focused solely on their best interests. Volunteers undergo extensive training and background checks before being appointed by a judge and remain involved throughout the case, offering stability in a process often marked by constant change.

In 2025, CASA of Collin County’s 186 volunteers advocated for 334 children in foster care and temporary family placements. Lone Star CASA, serving Rockwall and Kaufman counties, supported 272 children with the help of 125 volunteers.

“That advocate is there to be with them, to be their voice, to help them all along the way and make sure that they are in the best situation and that they’re getting all of their needs met,” said CASA of Collin County Chief Philanthropy Officer Jessica Dunn. “The state has their attorneys, the parents have their attorneys — everybody has their attorneys — but we are a true, neutral person who is really looking out for the child’s best interest and looking at every single thing that affects that child’s life.”

Every child removed from a home in Collin, Rockwall or Kaufman County is assigned a CASA volunteer within 48 hours. Sibling groups are typically represented by one advocate. Volunteers begin by learning the child’s background and exploring placement options with extended family members, but their work quickly expands to include therapists, teachers, medical providers, foster families and biological parents.

CASA of Collin County Chief Programs Officer Debi Williams said volunteers serve as guardians ad litem, giving them access to records related to a child’s care and requiring them to review that information throughout the case to make individualized, best-interest recommendations.

“We don’t take a cookie-cutter approach — our approach is unique to the needs and dynamics of every child that we serve,” Williams said.

Perhaps the most important person an advocate speaks with is the child. Volunteers build relationships through everyday moments — reading together, playing games or sharing lunch — and stay connected as children grow older through text messages or FaceTime. Those conversations help advocates understand whether a child’s physical, emotional, spiritual and educational needs are being met and identify challenges or interests that may otherwise go unnoticed.

If an issue arises, the advocate can step in to help resolve it. CASA volunteer Dawn Brucher said she has mediated between teens and foster families over seemingly small matters, such as hairstyles or nail choices.

“It sounds so simple,” she said, “but being able to step in and say, ‘You know, let’s figure out ways where we can provide this child some decision-making that they can be comfortable with.’ And maybe we can sit down and almost mediate where we can give this child some freedom of expression while still respecting the house rules.”

Alicia Rothe, another CASA volunteer, said she works to ensure a child’s cultural needs are honored as well.

“I work with the Latino community a lot,” she said. “Little things like food, things that are going to help them get more comfortable and respect their own culture, those things make such a big difference to help them feel safer.”

Children may remain in foster care for a year or more and move between multiple homes or caseworkers before reuniting with family, being adopted or aging out of the system. Throughout that time, the CASA volunteer remains a constant presence.

As Collin, Rockwall and Kaufman counties continue to grow, so does the need for volunteers and financial support. Lone Star CASA Executive Director Lauren Rowe said her program has already served nearly as many children in Rockwall County this fiscal year as it did all of last year.

“We’re desperately looking for people who are interested in serving — that’s our first and greatest need,” Rowe said. “And then our second one is financial. Last year, we experienced about a 27% increase in children that we serve, and we know that’s going to continue because our counties are growing.”

Williams said CASA of Collin County is also seeing increased demand while competition for large donors tightens, making community contributions especially important. Donations help cover volunteer travel, extracurricular activities and other needs that promote stability and normalcy.

“There’s no guarantee when a child is removed from their home that they’re going to stay in the same school district,” Dunn said. “So, we want to make sure they have a brand-new backpack and anything they need to be able to start off successfully … we want to make sure that they have normalcy and that they can get a gift.”

This year marks CASA of Collin County’s 35th anniversary — a milestone Dunn described as bittersweet.

“We’re glad that we’re here because we’re the only organization that does what we do,” she said, “but we can’t do it without the support of volunteers, community partners and donors … to make sure that those children know they’re not alone.”

To donate or volunteer, Casaofcollincounty.org or Lonestarcasa.org.

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By Whitney Alswede | Special Contributor