Sofia Ten-year-old Sofia and her younger brother Jacob rarely had enough to eat. her clothes were worn and dirty and her shoes were too small. Sofia often stayed home from first grade to baby-sit her brother. She missed so many days of school that her teacher reported her as truant and called 241-KIDS.
When the caseworker arrived at the home, she found Sofia and Jacob alone. It was February, and there was very little food in the house. The heat had been turned off. Once the caseworker made contact with their mother, she learned she had been working. There was no family in the area and no support except for a new boyfriend with a long and violent criminal history. Many domestic violence police calls had been made to the home. Sofia's mother was depressed and completely overwhelmed. Since there were no relatives or friends to help with the children, Sofia and Jacob were placed in foster care.
Nancy, a ProKids CASA volunteer, was heartbroken when she met Sofia and her brother in the new foster home. They were sitting quietly on the couch, not attempting to talk to anyone. They looked scared and sad. The foster parents were concerned with Sofia's behavior. It did not take long to learn Sofia was being sexually abused by mom's new boyfriend while she was at work. The boyfriend was arrested and Sofia's mother broke off all contact with him.
Nancy had a lot of work to do. She worked closely with ProKids STOP Program to get services for the mother and children. She put the family in touch with local organization that helps Hispanic families find appropriate housing, child care, and support. She advocated strongly for the services Sofia would need to heal -- therapy and educational assistance. Nancy advocated for Jacob's development to be evaluated and for him to get the services he needed. Nancy monitored the criminal prosecution of the boyfriend. Their mother cooperated fully and was eager to do anything to get her children back. The children were allowed supervised visits and it became clear to Nancy, as she observed these visits that the children needed to be with her.
Today, Sofia and her brother are back with their mother. Nancy reports, that they live in a comfortable, safe apartment and attend school regularly. Their mother continues to receive the support she needs to maintain a safe home for them. Sofia's smile is back. 
April April arrived in this world in an ambulance. Her mother, high on heroine, called 911 when she realized her baby, 8 weeks early, was on her way. She agreed to enter inpatient drug treatment and left the hospital without her baby. April's prematurity required a long stay in the hospital. Without a known father or other relatives to help, April was placed in foster care.
April's foster parents were an older couple with grown children and grandchildren of their own. They loved April and considered her one of their children. As an infant, April thrived in their care.
Rebecca, a ProKids CASA volunteer, met April at her foster home. Rebecca learned a lot during her frequent visits to April's home. She learned that both foster parents had serious health problems, and, as April got older, it was becoming more difficult for the foster parents to keep up with an active toddler. April was often restrained in a highchair or her crib. The foster parents didn't engage her in play and she wasn't receiving much stimulation. Due to her additional training as a Building Blocks CASA, Rebecca knew that April was falling behind developmentally.
April's mother didn't complete drug treatment and she never attempted to get April back. She was living with friends and still using drugs. After a year, the court terminated her parental rights, making April available for adoption.
The foster parents expressed an interest in adopting April, but Rebecca had serious doubts about their ability to care for her long-term. After discussing her concerns with the caseworker, Rebecca recommended to the court that a new adoptive home be found for April. The caseworker agreed.
Today April is living with an active family with two young children. Rebecca made sure that the transition to the new home was gradual. She visited April until the adoption was final and was always delighted to see her running around in the backyard with her new brother and sister. April was home at last.
David Eleven-year-old David was the oldest of six children, born to a mother who suffered from severe depression and Post traumatic Stress Disorder due to abuse she endured as a child. David was very bonded with his mother and his siblings and tried his best to take care of them when his mother wasn't feeling well. But he was just a boy himself and soon his world began to fall apart. When David's mother was hospitalized for an indefinite period of time, he and his siblings went to live with various relatives or were placed in foster care.
While David was in foster care, he worried constantly about his siblings. His anxiety and anger affected his behavior at home and in school. David was moved from foster home to foster home, but none of them lasted very long. He resented adults telling him what to do. He was used to being the "man" of the house and the rules were different in every home. To make matters even worse, he was often picked-on and abused by older kids in the foster homes.
Then Elaine, a ProKids CASA volunteer, entered David's life. He shared with her how much he missed and worried about his brother and sister. Elaine visited David often and talked to everyone involved in his case, including his new therapist and the foster parents of two of his siblings. Working with his caseworker, Elaine arranged for David to visit his brother and sister at their foster home. It didn't take long for Elaine to realize that David needed to be with his siblings. The foster parent agreed and soon David moved in with his brother and sister.
Today, David's mother still struggles with mental illness. She has supervised visits with David and his siblings, but reunification is not possible at this time. Elaine is always there to observe the visits. Soon she will make a recommendation t the court as to what is in David's best interest -- return to his mother, long-term foster care, or possible adoption. Whatever happens, Elaine will be there for David and his siblings.
Brandon Brandon, age 16, used to say that he "wasn't wanted by nobody." At age 6 his young, drug-addicted mother refused to take care of him anymore. He was bounced around from neighbor to friend to relative until he entered foster care at age 9. Relatives washed their hands of him. His father was unknown. He lived in 10 different foster homes and attended 8 different schools. He read on a forth-grade level. He didn't see the point in finishing high school. In fact, he had pretty much given up on school altogether.
There was a very good chance that Brandon, like many foster children, would "age-out" of the foster care system when he turned 18, with no support system and no high school education.
Then Brandon met Tom, a ProKids CASA volunteer. Tom consulted with the ProKids Education Advocacy Team on how to best work with Brandon and his educational needs. He convinced Brandon that he needed an education in order to find a job and support himself. He also made him aware of the high school options in the Cincinnati area. Tom and Brandon visited some of them together. Soon Brandon enrolled in an alternative high school program. Tom visited him often, giving him much-needed encouragement and support. Tom attended every school meeting and made sure Brandon had what he needed to succeed and graduate.
Tom also made sure that Brandon attended independent living classes where he learned the fundamentals of living on his own. Brandon eventually moved into his own apartment and continued to attend school. ProKids Resource Team helped to furnish Brandon's apartment.
Brandon graduated from high school and received his diploma. At the graduation dinner, Brandon talked about the importance of having one caring person in your life. His CASA volunteer, Tom, smiled with pride.
The images used on this page are intended for representation purposes only. They are not actual images of ProKids children.
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