When the state steps in to protect a child's safety because the people responsible for protecting them have not, CASA becomes a driving force in ensuring each child has a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in court, at school, and in our community ensuring each child's needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. When a child is taken from their home, their only sense of family, the separation can be disruptive, confusing, and scary to say the least. CASA advocates provide a consistent presence in their lives to explain what is happening, why it is happening, and what will happen next, so they never face navigating through the child welfare system unprepared and alone. CASA advocates are assigned by a judge to help one child or set of siblings at a time, so they can focus on giving that child or sibling group the individualized advocacy and attention they so desperately need. They work in tandem with juvenile court judges, attorneys, case workers, parents, foster parents, teachers, physicians, and therapists to ensure that the best interests of the child are met. This includes researching each child's situation and making objective recommendations to help them reclaim their childhoods from abuse and neglect.

Unfortunately, the need for our services never diminishes, so support grows even more crucial each day. The cost of action is far more affordable than the cost of inaction. When intervention does not take place, research shows that children, more often than not, become lost in the system, repeating the cycle of abuse. Funding CASA for Kids of South Central Texas would be an investment in the power of our community and the future of Texas. Every minute in foster care that is unnecessary is a tragedy. It is crucial that we recruit and train dependable and trusted advocates who will offer hope and stability at a time when a child's life hangs in the balance.