What It Means to Show Up For a Child
From CEO Don Binnicker
Last week, we celebrated our CASA volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week. At our volunteer breakfast, I had the chance to thank many of them in person and reflect on the meaningful role they play in the lives of children navigating foster care.
Hearing those reflections was a powerful reminder of what it means to show up consistently for a child.
I hope you’ll take a moment of your time to read what our volunteers have shared about their work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
Andrew
Before becoming a CASA volunteer, I didn’t know much about the foster care system. I understood it abstractly as a difficult place for a child to be. But becoming a dad changed that, it made the reality of family separation feel much more personal. I knew I wanted to be part of helping a child reunite with their parents, or if that was not possible, find a way to a permanent and loving home.
Most of the children I’ve served have been teenagers. They’re not always expressive, so the moments that stay with me are often small. When I show up for a visit and am greeted with genuine excitement, it tells me that my presence matters.
This work isn’t about one big moment. It’s about showing up and listening, over and over, until a child believes you won’t stop.
Foster care can feel like a constant cycle of hopes and disappointments. The children living through it don’t get a break. Compared to that, the time I give feels small for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
Over time, I’ve come to see this work as planting seeds. You don’t always see what’s happening below the surface, but with patience, those small efforts begin to grow. And when they do, it’s incredibly encouraging.
Every child has a name. They are as unique and important as any child in our own families. When we see them that way, it changes everything.
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Dana
I became a CASA volunteer because I’ve seen how important it is for children to have someone to advocate for them. As I pursue my MSW, I was drawn to CASA because it allows me to keep learning while making a difference in a child’s life.
Over the past two years, I’ve been on a case with a child who came into care as an infant and is now a toddler. I’ve learned that trust doesn’t happen all at once, it’s built through consistency and authenticity. I show up when I say I will, and I do my best to be a steady, positive presence in his life.
Now when he sees me, he makes eye contact, reaches for me, and wants to be held. I can tell he feels safe with me and that my presence has become a space of comfort and protection for him.
Being a CASA volunteer has deepened my empathy and strengthened my patience. This work doesn’t move quickly, and just when you think you’re close to resolution, things can change. But I’m committed to seeing it through.
In a system where so much is uncertain, consistency means everything. These children are resilient, and what they need most is someone who believes in them and is willing to stand beside them.
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Daniel
I became a CASA volunteer after realizing just how great the need is within the foster care system and how many children are still waiting for someone to step up. I also learned that there are far fewer male volunteers than there are children who could benefit from that presence. At a certain point, I had to ask myself: if not me, then who?
This work isn’t always easy. The children I serve are often navigating frustration, anger, and uncertainty, and sometimes that gets directed toward the adults around them. But I’ve seen how patience, honesty, and showing up consistently can lead to real growth.
One moment that stands out to me was going for a run with a boy on my case. At first, he was withdrawn and uninterested in talking. But once we started running together, something shifted. He opened up, became more engaged, and eventually began reaching out to me on his own. That’s when I realized how important it is to meet a child where they are and find ways to connect that are meaningful to them.
Over time, I’ve come to see this work as planting seeds. You don’t always see the results right away, but with consistency and care, those efforts begin to take root.
Being a consistent adult in a child’s life is a serious responsibility as well as an opportunity. An opportunity to build trust, to offer stability, and to help a child begin to see hope for their future.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to serving children in foster care. Each child is unique, with their own experiences, needs, and ways of seeing the world. Many have faced challenges most of us can’t imagine, and they need patience, adaptability, and genuine care from the adults in their lives.
And when someone is willing to meet them where they are, you begin to see that effort take root over time.
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What you’ll notice in each of these stories is a common thread.
Change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens because someone shows up time and time again through uncertainty, transitions, and the moments when progress feels slow.
That consistency is what helps children feel safe, builds trust and lets a child know someone will be there to advocate for them when it matters most.
Right now, you have a unique opportunity to double your impact for a child who needs a CASA.
Thanks to a $15,000 matching challenge, your gift will go twice as far to help CASA recruit, train, and support volunteers who are ready to stand beside a child in foster care.
Because of your support, more children will have someone who shows up, listens, and advocates for their future.
Thank you for helping children in Tarrant County foster care know they are not alone and that they have the consistent support they need during one of the most uncertain times in their lives.
Sincerely,
Don Binnicker, MSSW
Chief Executive Officer