Fifteen year-old Danny lived the first 14 years of his life without ever having the benefit of a loving and supportive home. At age 13, his adoptive mother decided she no longer wanted him or his brother. The boys were separated and placed in two different foster homes. The judge appointed a CASA volunteer to Danny’s case because it appeared he would be in the system until he aged out at 18, if something was not done.
Sandie, an enthusiastic new CASA volunteer, was assigned to Danny’s case to see if there was a better solution than long-term foster care. Shortly after Sandie’s assignment to the case, Danny’s situation turned even worse when his foster mother threatened his life and kicked him out of her home. Danny was placed temporarily in another foster home and DYFS began frantically searching for a bed in a group home. When Sandie arrived at Danny’s temporary foster home, she found him happy and content with his new living situation. Each time the CASA volunteer visited, she observed a loving relationship between Danny and his new foster mother. Danny told Sandie he liked the new home and didn’t want to leave, but after 30 days the DYFS worker called to say they had a bed for Danny in a residential facility. Sandie remained determined to keep the bond between Danny and his new foster mother intact.
Sandie and the foster mother worked together to get Danny returned to her home. They visited Danny as much as possible in the group home. For three months Sandie recommended in her court reports that Danny be returned to the foster family because the group home program was not helping him. Unfortunately, DYFS and the group home administrators disagreed with Sandie's recommendation. As Danny lingered in the group home, he told Sandie he thought he would be there until he turned 18 and aged out of the system completely. Concerned by his hopelessness, Sandie reported her findings to the judge at the next hearing, along with her opinion that the group home program was not helping Danny. Swayed by the information in Sandie's report, the judge ruled that Danny be returned to his foster family immediately.
