CASE ONE Hussayn finds a mom Husayn was born in the winter of 2003. This little boy was dealt a tough deal: a few days after his birth his mother abandoned him at the hospital. The tiny infant had a heart murmur, Down syndrome, hearing loss, asthma and reflux problems. The court assigned the case to CASA to closely monitor his very special situation. The Administration of Children Services (ACS) placed Husayn in the home of a couple who wanted to adopt him. With CASA's help, the couple kept up with the multiple medical appointments and coordinated the delivery of early intervention services for his developmental delays. After a few months, Husayn's path hit a snag: ACS received a call from his foster mother reporting domestic violence. Husayn needed to be removed immediately. ACS picked him up and placed him in an emergency foster home. Patti Meyer, the CASA advocate, called the emergency foster parent to follow up on Husayn's medical appointments. She learned that the emergency foster parent knew nothing about Husayn's appointments or medical conditions. Husayn's information had gotten lost in the maze of foster care. First, the original foster mother disappeared into the shelter system, along with all medical and appointment information for the child. Second, Husayn's ACS caseworker was on maternity leave and had left insufficient information regarding his needs. And finally, the private foster care agency contracted by ACS to oversee this case reported having no knowledge of his medical needs. Fortunately, CASA had kept track of all of Husayn's medical needs and appointments and relayed this information to all parties involved. Ms. Meyer did her job and continued monitoring the case. After a few weeks, she discovered that Husayn was still missing all his appointments. CASA had to obtain a court order to enforce compliance. At last, Husayn resumed getting the care and services so important to his well-being. It was clear to CASA that Husayn needed a more suitable placement. Being familiar with the services available to children with special needs, CASA advocated for Husayn to be placed in what is called a "therapeutic foster home." This would provide Husayn with a foster parent with medical knowledge. Without much delay, Husayn was moved into a home with a certified nurse as his new foster mother. Today, Husayn no longer has a foster mom; She adopted him in November 2004. This case is a perfect example of some of the work CASA does every day. CASA's individualized monitoring kept the case moving forward to its successful resolution- with a foster parent he would eventually call "Mom"! It demonstrates that despite all the twists and turns children in foster care inevitably deal with, if they are under CASA's watch they will not fall through the cracks, they will not get lost. CASE TWO - CASA helps Sarah find supervised housing CASE THREE - CASA helps Peter go home to Dad. CASE FOUR - Tracy gets new legs...and more.
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