Ella & Sophie

Ella was only twelve weeks old when she was placed in a foster home. Rebecca, Ella’s young 20-year-old mother, had been abused as a child and had matured into an unstable adult. Ella’s father Sean was a convicted sex offender. Ella lived the first twelve weeks of her life in an unsafe and filthy apartment with parents unable to care for her properly.

Barely old enough to hold up her own head, Ella needed a CASA to ensure that she would be safe and protected. That protection came when Christine was appointed by the Juvenile Court judge to be Ella’s CASA volunteer. As Christine began to gather information about Ella’s case, she discovered that Rebecca was pregnant again. Sean was not willing to complete his sexual offender counseling, and would clearly not be fit to care for his Ella or his soon-to-be-born second child. Rebecca wanted Ella back, but Christine knew it would be an uphill climb for her to take the necessary steps to be a safe and stable parent.

Christine would be there to monitor Rebecca’s progress through services and counseling and to advocate for the best possible placement for Ella and her new sibling. What would the future hold for these infants? Only time would tell…

When Ella was 11 months old, Rebecca gave birth to Sophie. The doctors discovered that Sophie had a heart condition that jeopardized her health and sent her to the hospital many times during the first few months of her life. Because of her condition, Sophie was placed in a different foster home than Ella that was designated to care for her fragile health.

Rebecca was intent on reclaiming custody of her daughters. She had scheduled supervised visitations with Ella and Sophie, and began attending the necessary parenting classes and counseling. But Rebecca was unable to stay away from Sean, who was court-ordered to have no contact with his daughters. Then she began to miss her parenting classes and dropped out of counseling. It became clear she would not be able to be a suitable parent for her daughters, and she agreed to relinquish her rights as a parent.

Christine knew it was best for Ella and Sophie to spend as much time together as possible, and set up visits between the girls. Ella and Sophie developed a strong bond with one another almost immediately. For awhile, they continued to see each other regularly. Then, much to Christine’s dismay, Sophie’s foster mother cancelled the girls’ scheduled visits. For Christine, who knew how much Ella and Sophie benefited from their time together, had a feeling that something was not right in Sophie’s foster home. She paid her foster mother a visit, only to find that the home was filthy and the foster mom was suffering from depression. Christine quickly took action, and after much work and advocacy in the courtroom, Sophie was placed together with Ella in her foster home.

In time, Ella and Sophie were adopted by their loving foster parents. The girls continued to learn what it meant to grow up in a nurturing and safe environment.  To this day, when the girls see their CASA, they run to her with a smile and a hug.  The CASA stays in contact with Ella, Sophie, and their new family, and could not be happier that the girls have found a forever home together.

Even though Ella and Sophie were too young to understand the extent of what Christine did for them, they recognized she was a loving and protective presence in their lives. What might the outcome have been for the girls if Christine had not been there for them? Thankfully we will never know, because Ella and Sophie are safe and cared for in their new home, with a bright future before them.