Joshua

Joshua was only a few months old when he was taken from his home. Both his mother Cindy and father Anthony were methamphetamine users. Cindy had been caught dealing the drug and was sent to prison. When Joshua was removed, the house was filthy and there was paraphernalia everywhere.

Melissa, the CASA appointed to this case by a juvenile judge, recognized the huge life changes both parents would have to make if they wanted to care for Joshua once again. Anthony decided to move away from his drug connections to make a clean start. Cindy was still in jail, but she also wished to eventually regain custody of her son.

Anthony started to make all the important changes that were required in order to get Joshua back. He enrolled in parenting classes to learn the skills he had lacked, started working through a drug rehabilitation program, and secured a job. During this time, Melissa monitored both Anthony’s progress and Joshua’s current foster care placement. She hoped that Anthony would be able to maintain the positive changes he had begun to make, but she knew that no matter what, the most important thing was to ensure Joshua was placed in a safe, permanent home. Would Cindy be able to change her life around and be a stable and safe mother for her son? Would Anthony continue down the road toward becoming a better parent? Melissa continued to monitor the situation over the next few months.

Melissa understood that it was extremely important that Anthony moved away from the methamphetamine community and the people who he did drugs with.  She kept in good communication with him and encouraged him as he continued to make progress. Melissa was also there to witness that Cindy had not participated in any of the rehabilitation in jail necessary to regain any sort of visitation. At this point, Cindy gave up her parental rights and Joshua’s father was given custody on a trial basis.

A year after being removed from his home, Joshua was returned to his father.  Melissa stayed in close contact with Anthony. She knew that in order to keep Joshua, Anthony would have to remain drug-free, keep his job, and continue to provide a safe and healthy environment for his son. When Anthony moved, Melissa traveled to his new home to monitor that the changes were being taken seriously. She was happy to see Joshua growing into a healthy young child and Anthony continuing to embrace his role as a good father.

Anthony has now gone back to school in order to obtain a higher degree.  He has won parenting awards at Joshua’s school and has truly turned his life around.

What might have happened to Joshua if Melissa had not been there to monitor his situation and his father’s recovery? We can never know. What we do know is that Joshua is now safe and secure with his father who has worked very hard to be a great parent.