Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018
There really are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child.
Kaley wasn’t surprised when the phone rang that day - the voice on the other end telling her that Jackie, her 1-year-old niece, was in need of a home. Jackie had been born into an unfortunate situation. With a mother who suffered from addiction and a father with severe depression, Jackie was often times not given the care that she needed or deserved. On that cold January morning, Jackie’s situation turned from unfortunate to desperate. Jackie was removed from her parents' home and placed in the loving arms of her aunt Kaley. Just a few short months later the judge assigned Debby, a CASA volunteer to the case.
Debby was instantly concerned for the well-being of Jackie’s unborn sister. Knowing that their mother had a chemical dependency problem she knew she had to stay on top of the situation. Debby followed Jackie, and then Hally, throughout their case. She visited with the children and their caregiver regularly and saw the bond between the children and their aunt continue to grow stronger every day. Meanwhile, the bond between the girls and their parents began to fade. Both parents began missing visits with the children and often arrived late to the visits they did attend. Because the parents were not taking the steps necessary to regain custody of the children, Debby began to advocate for both girls to be permanently placed with the aunt that they had come to love as a mother.
After 15 months in care, Jackie and Hally received the permanency that they so desperately needed and were adopted by their aunt Kaley. Today the children are happy and thriving.