Donna Brown signed on to her first case on 04/14/2024 after completing her Pre-Service training on 03/31/2024. Donna received her case from another Advocate Supervisor who is no longer with the program. I then received the case and Donna Brown as the CASA Advocate on the case. I immediately contacted Donna to introduce myself and get her updated so we could identify the issues, and she could proceed with advocating for her CASA children.
Donna shared with me that her case involved two parents who had long-term substance abuse issues and instability in housing. The couple had three children, two boys and a girl. Their youngest child, Ike* now 4 years old, has significant developmental delays and one of the reasons for the children coming into care was his missed doctor appointments. Mary*, age 7, and Charles*, age 6, do not appear to have the same issues as Ike; however, they have had their challenges, especially Mary who has behavior and educational challenges. Donna let me know that the three children are in separate placements. Ike and Mary are placed out of the Baton Rouge area.
Advocating for three children in separate foster homes is a challenge and having two children out of Baton Rouge adds to the challenge. Donna faithfully visited each child monthly and connected with the three foster parents and their schools. She identified issues that needed to be addressed and has been proactive in getting services in place for the children, especially Ike and Mary.
Ike needed to get into an educational setting where he could receive services for his developmental delays. Donna worked with Ike’s therapeutic foster parent to get him into school and to get an evaluation scheduled for him so he could have an IEP. Mary also needed educational advocacy. Donna has maintained contact with the school and always has up-to-date information on her educational status for the DCFS case managers.
Donna maintained objectivity in her case even though the mother and father were not stable enough to reunify with their children. The mother had several relapses and the father’s housing situation was unacceptable even though he told DCFS he was working to get the housing issues fixed.
After the children were in care for 937 days Donna realized the parents were not making progress in parenting their children. Donna stressed in her court report the need for the children to have a permanent home. She also recommended the children be placed in adoptive homes since Mary and Ike were in a home that she learned would not give them permanence.
At the last court hearing, the mother and father informed their attorneys that they wanted to surrender their parental rights so their children could have the opportunities they could not give them. The mother followed through with the surrender; however, the father changed his mind and is currently living out of state in a tent. Donna is recommending in her latest court report that a Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petition be filed against the father and that an adoptive home be found for Ike and Mary.
Donna has been a joy to supervise. As a retired teacher, her knowledge of the issues facing the children has been invaluable. She has succeeded in getting services in place. Throughout her case, Donna maintained contact with the mother so she could follow her progress in working on her case plan. Donna always attends her court hearings in person, enters her notes in Optima, and keeps me informed on updates on her case timely.
Donna said she wanted to be a CASA Advocate because she wanted justice for abused and neglected children and wanted to see them treated fairly. Thanks, Donna, for giving of yourself to the children you are advocating for.
Proud Advocate Supervisor
Susan Murrell
*Names changed for confidentiality