NEWS RELEASE: Texas CASA Awards Judge Piper McCraw for Outstanding Work in Child Welfare

(GEORGETOWN, Texas) – Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) honored
Judge Piper McCraw with the 2025 Texas CASA Judicial Innovation and Leadership
Award for the enduring difference she’s made in the lives of children and families across
Texas. Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs presented the award during the Judicial
Reception of the annual Child Welfare Judges Conference hosted by the Children’s
Commission and Office of Court Administration on Monday, October 27 in Georgetown,
Texas.

“Judge McCraw is the embodiment of judicial service that goes beyond the bench,” said
Spriggs. “She is a model of what it means to lead with heart, to innovate with purpose
and to uphold justice with empathy. It’s my honor to present her this award.”

Judge McCraw has been a steadfast partner to the Children’s Commission — a
collaboration of legislative branches of Texas government and child welfare
stakeholders created by the Texas Supreme Court in 2007— and a true champion for
children and families throughout her career. Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas
as a Commissioner in 2016 and later as Jurist in Residence in 2021, she has poured
her time, wisdom and heart into strengthening our courts and our child welfare system.
She is Board Certified in both Child Welfare and Family Law, and for the past seven
years, has chaired the Children’s Commission’s Training Committee guiding countless
initiatives, from Trial Skills Trainings and statewide conferences to the development of
high-quality resources for attorneys and judges.

She is known for remembering each child by name, asking “What else do they need?”
and ensuring that no need goes unmet. Her local CASA program, CASA of Collin
County, describes her as a judge who “always wears her best smile, her most fun pair
of shoes, and puts her best face forward each hearing for every family in need” and is
the “very best of Collin County, bringing her wisdom, expertise, and passion to the
forefront.”

That spirit of compassion and determination defines everything she does. Whether she
is hosting local child welfare roundtables, mentoring peers or swearing in new CASA
volunteers, Judge McCraw always says yes when asked to serve.

Prior to presenting Judge McCraw with the award, Spriggs updated statewide judges
with Texas CASA’s recent milestones — including milestones made during the 89th
Texas Legislative Session and the upcoming tenth anniversary of Collaborative Family
Engagement, our family engagement model used across the state to strengthen lifelong
connections for children and youth in foster care.

In 2024, 64% of the children in foster care benefited from a CASA volunteer — a
percentage we look forward to growing.

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About Texas CASA 

Established in 1989, Texas CASA’s mission is to support local CASA programs with training, community awareness, resources and public policy to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in Texas. We are the statewide membership association for all local CASA programs. In this role, we support the CASA network by serving as the administrator of state and federal funds, setting and monitoring standards, providing training, leading a statewide volunteer recruitment campaign, advocating for public policy and more. Texas CASA is committed to partnering with statewide stakeholders and the CASA network to elevate best practices when working with children and families.

Collectively, the local CASA programs serve the majority of Texas’ 254 counties. As integral members of their respective communities, they recruit, train, supervise and support court-appointed volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children. Local programs also coordinate and collaborate with other service providers who share the mission of supporting Texas families.

Póngase en contacto con

Madi Donham, External Communications Manager
Phone: 281-750-9117
Email: mdonham@texascasa.com