Thank You Southwest Airlines for Supporting the CASA Mission!

Southwest Airlines continues to make a meaningful difference for children in the foster care system by providing flight vouchers to help local CASA programs make long-distance visits to children and youth. Thanks to their ongoing generosity, CASA advocates can travel to maintain critical connections with children who have been placed far from home and often outside of Texas. Last year alone, Southwest’s support helped advocates travel more than 90,000 miles to visit children placed far from their community of origin. 

The impact of these visits is immeasurable. One local CASA program, CASA of the South Plains, recently shared a story that highlights the difference an in-person visit can make. After months of virtual visits, a CASA advocate traveled to visit the children she served in person. The children were so excited to see her that they waited on the front lawn for her arrival, jumping up and down with joy when she pulled up. During the visit, the advocate spent hours with the children, teaching them how to play Uno and strengthening a relationship that had previously been limited to video calls. The trip also gave the advocate the opportunity to meet with the children’s relative caregiver and learn more about challenges they were facing in the adoption licensing process. With this information, the advocate returned home ready to help address those barriers and continue advocating for permanency for the children. 

As CASA of the South Plains shared, “An in-person connection with the advocate who makes recommendations for a child’s best interest in court is priceless.” 

We are incredibly grateful to Southwest Airlines for their partnership and commitment to Texas children and families. Their support helps CASA advocates show up when it matters most, strengthen relationships, improve advocacy, and help children in the foster care system.