El poder de la colaboración en el camino de sanación de un niño
By Vicki Spriggs, CEO of Texas CASA
Children enter the foster care system with more than a suitcase. They carry trauma, uncertainty, and painful separation from the people and places that were once home.
For the five siblings in the Johnson* family, there was another heartbreaking possibility: losing each other. When their parents could no longer care for four of the five siblings under the age of 18, they faced the very real risk of being placed in separate homes. Their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Tressie Nichols and caseworker Kimberly James were determined not to let that happen.
“These siblings loved each other so much. The joy they shared when they were together was not only a light in their lives, but a light in mine,” said Tressie, a former CASA volunteer who now serves on staff at CASA of Southeast Texas. “I knew my mission was to keep these kids together if possible.”
After two of the siblings’ fathers passed away and their mother voluntarily relinquished her parental rights, Tressie exhausted every family-finding effort to locate relatives or other trusted adults who could care for the children together. Although no family members were found, Tressie worked closely with the children’s Texas Family Care Network (TFCN) caseworker Kimberly to help the oldest sibling become the legal guardian of her younger sister when she was 23. Her brothers were spread across different placements until May of 2026 when she was eventually able to welcome two of them into her home. Their third brother lives in Houston where he will start college this fall.
The collaboration continued even after the legal work was complete. Together, CASA and TFCN helped the siblings build a new beginning by furnishing their home, stocking it with food and everyday essentials, and teaching the family how to use resources such as health insurance. They also helped the eldest sibling get her driver’s license, find a stable job, and secure a vehicle.
“As a CASA, I spent a lot of time getting to know the children. I had a good grasp on what they needed emotionally and what might make a house feel like a home,” said Tressie. “Their TFCN caseworker offered connection to social services and helped make sure their basic needs were met. Together, we gave them the support they needed for a fresh start. Because of our unique backgrounds and perspectives, we made a bigger impact combining our strengths.”
CASA volunteers serve as a bridge across the child welfare systems. They partner with caseworkers, attorneys, and judges to keep a child’s best interest at the center of every decision. While roles and policies may shift over time, CASA volunteers remain a steady presence in a child’s life and are there for every major milestone. That consistent advocacy supports the whole team.
For the past nine years, Texas has been transitioning to Community-Based Care (CBC), a model that shifts state responsibility for foster care services to private nonprofit organizations called Single Source Continuum Contractors (SSCCs). SSCCs coordinate services and support for children in foster care, much like Child Protective Services (CPS).
Today, more than 27,000 children are in foster care in Texas. They are often separated from family members, friends, schools, neighborhoods, faith communities, and trusted adults — important contributors to their sense of normalcy and belonging. Some children also experience multiple placements and are moved out of their home county, making it even harder to maintain relationships with loved ones. Collaboration has never been more essential.
The Johnson family lives in a community that transitioned to the CBC model. Their story reminds me of what is possible when we work together toward meaningful change. A volunteer and a caseworker worked as a team to provide stability, belonging, and the beginning of a journey toward healing for these four siblings — keeping them together during one of the most traumatic times in their lives. This is what effective collaboration in child welfare looks like.
The positive outcome for the Johnson family was a result of Texas CASA’s Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) program. CFE is a statewide, collaborative approach to connection that brings together local CASA programs, CPS, and SSCCs — like Texas Family Care Network — to identify and engage relatives and other trusted adults in a child’s life in order to establish permanent, caring relationships alongside legal permanency.
Regionally-located Texas CFE Coaches partner with local CASA programs, CPS, and SSCCs offering training, tools, and resources to support healing on a child’s terms — all rooted in collaboration and connection.
Often, the dedicated people who support children in foster care work in silos. With CFE, each partner plays a different role, collaborating across their areas of expertise with one shared commitment: ensuring every child has a strong, lasting network of supportive relationships throughout their lives.
“We have a great working relationship with Texas Family Care Network. We all have the same mission and circled the children with support,” said Tressie. “When we help children stay connected to the people who know them, love them, and support them, we create opportunities for healing that no system can provide on its own. It’s my goal at Texas CASA to not only work towards a more efficient system, but a more connected one. In my decades of serving Texas children and families, I have learned that the child welfare system works best when no one works alone. Every day we collaborate is an opportunity to strengthen that system and ensure that every child has the support and relationships they need to thrive.”
*The family’s name has been changed to protect their privacy.
