Sue and Susan were matched with a pair of very young siblings, two-year-old Sarah* and four-year-old Bobby*, in December of 2020. Unfortunately, when the children were removed from their parent’s care, they were placed in separate safe and loving foster homes and the parents entered separate drug rehabilitation programs. The family was completely separated from one another.
Due to the separation, there were logistical struggles to ensure the family could spend time together as they healed. Sue and Susan advocated that parent visits were easy to get to so the family could spend time together. And, once unsupervised visits were allowed, the Advocates signed the kids up for a weekly gymnastic class that the parents could also attend. This became a family bonding time where the parents proudly watched their young children develop with the skills they acquired week after week.
Although it was a difficult struggle for the parents, with the challenging logistics and limited time, Mom and Dad did the work. They successfully completed drug rehabilitation, attended all mandatory meetings, and completed all the paperwork, fulfilling all the court’s requirements. Sue and Susan would offer help where they could, supporting this family reunification, visiting with them weekly after COVID protocols allowed.
Once reunited and living under the same roof, the co-CASAs would spend time with the kids, sometimes separately or sometimes together, often inviting the parents along to the park or the beach or train ride. The parents were incredibly involved in their kids’ lives and showed so much love and care. Their dedication to their kids and recovery was so strong, that their case was dismissed in June 2022. Sue and Susan couldn’t be happier for the family reunification and are honored to have supported this family through such a difficult time. They plan on being part of the kids’ lives for the foreseeable future.
*fictitious names
This article was originally published in CASA of Santa Cruz County's 2021-2022 Annual Impact Report
