March is #WomensHistoryMonth and we are proud to have many incredible women leaders in our organization. We are so thankful for inspiring women like our three CASA volunteers below for exemplifying what it means to show unwavering commitment to youth in need.




Featuring CASA Volunteer Candy LeBlanc

What caused you to get involved with CASA? I was talking with a colleague and she told me she was considering becoming a CASA. I had no idea what a CASA was and she did a great job explaining the CASA role to me. I knew I wanted to be involved. At the time I was responsible for extensive Global travel and knew it would be impossible to make the commitment. It was always in the back of my mind. I officially was sworn in as a CASA on February 7, 2019. I have friends that ask if being a CASA is everything I thought it would be and my response is ”Yes, and so much more”.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a CASA? Being a part of their lives and knowing I am having a positive impact. We discuss their future education and career choices as well as the steps necessary to achieve them. I started a new case in January and the most rewarding part is using my education as an RN to provide medical advocacy for a medically challenged child that can’t speak for herself.

What’s your favorite way to connect with your CASA kids? I attend their activities. I learned all about goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits and chickens when they were involved in the Future Farmers of America. I have developed a history with them by attending birthday parties, and sports activities. I have been to every new foster Home they have been placed and they know I will always be there for them. We joke that they will never be able to get rid of me.

Please share a special moment with us about your advocacy work with your CASA kids. I have been a CASA for one of my kids for almost 5 years. She has had a multitude of behavioral and medical issues that I have been directly involved in advocating for her. She was recently interviewed by a potential adoption advocacy group and she told them she may not like what I say but she trusts me and knows I will tell the truth. For me, that says it all.

Have you used a resource that you would like to share with other CASA volunteers? I believe the best resources are the individuals directly involved in the child’s life. I communicate with OCOK, CPS, Foster Families, Biological Family and relatives, Medical Staff, Ad litems, my CASA Supervisor, and school personnel. Don’t be timid in reaching out to them as they are key in building trust with the child.

What would you say to someone that is on the fence about becoming a CASA? The best resource for someone who is on the fence in becoming a CASA is to talk with a CASA about the realities and responsibilities of the position. Going directly to someone who has been there will allow them to make an informed decision as to whether it is a good fit for them.

What would you say to other aspiring women who are considering becoming a CASA volunteer? “If not YOU, then WHO”?


Featuring CASA Volunteer Esther Grant

What caused you to get involved with CASA? I am a retired teacher and am very interested in kids and want to ensure that they are safe and happy.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a CASA? The most rewarding part is being the kids grow and be healthy and happy. I am also rewarded when the birth parents do what is required for them to get their children back.

What’s your favorite way to connect with your CASA kids? Seeing them in person each month, attending birthday parties and having fun communicating with them when I visit them in their foster home.

Please share a special moment with us about your advocacy work with your CASA kids. It feels so good when I visit the kids and they recognize me. As a person who cares about kids and want to see them happy and smiling, I will take books with me and read to them, play games with them and play with toys with them.

Have you used a resource that you would like to share with other CASA volunteers? It is important to be knowledgable about kids, their needs, and how to help them to develop and grow. As a person who has worked with kids all of my life, I use my experiences to help them to be happy and understand that they are loved.

What would you say to someone that is on the fence about becoming a CASA? Being a CASA is such an amazing experience. Kids need people in their lives that care about them and who want to see them happy and safe. Being a CASA does not take up a lot of your time, but it provides you with joy and so much satisfaction.

What would you say to other aspiring women who are considering becoming a CASA volunteer? Try it and you will get so much satisfaction in your life and in the lives of kids who need your help.


Featuring CASA Volunteer Meredith Floyd

What caused you to get involved with CASA? Before I moved to Fort Worth in March of 2023, I was living in Dallas and looking for ways to get more involved with my community. I was finding it really hard to do, especially having gone to college at Clemson in South Carolina and moving to the DFW metroplex where I knew very few people. I was on Tiktok one night after work when I came across a video of a woman talking about being a CASA. I don't even think she was in Texas but I listened as she talked about her case and described being able to help out kids when they need it the most. I had heard about CASA in college and the more I listened to her talk about her experiences, the more I thought that this could be both a great way to get more connected to my community and to hopefully provide support to a kid who needed it! Registering for CASA training was one of the first things on my to-do list once I moved to Fort Worth and I was sworn in at the end of June!

What has been the most rewarding part of being a CASA? I'm still on my first case, but the day I realized that the kid I've been working with was looking forward to see me just as much as I was to see her had a huge impact on me! She is 13 and being able to talk to her whether it's about something serious or just what she worked on in school that day has been great. Teenage girls get a bad rap a lot of the time, and being able to build a relationship with her has been so much more rewarding than I ever would have thought.

What’s your favorite way to connect with your CASA kids? My CASA kid loves to read (as do I) so whenever I can, I'll bring her a book that I think she'll like. I visit with her once a week, so typically by the next time I see her she's read it twice and is already looking for a new book, and it's been great to share some books with her that I read when I was her age and talk with her about what her favorite things to read are.

Please share a special moment with us about your advocacy work with your CASA kids. My CASA kid is in an RTC, so I have limited contact with her when I'm not there as she doesn't have her own phone, but on one visit I made a point to tell her that the RTC had my number on her approved call list if/when she ever needed to call me. We had been talking about coping skills and how to deal with middle school drama on that visit, and came up with a list of different ways she could respond to stressful situations without getting herself in trouble. I left that visit hoping that at least some of what we talked about would stick and crossing my fingers that she wouldn't get in trouble that week. Two days later, I was at work and my phone rang with a call from the RTC. At first, I assumed this meant that she had in fact gotten in trouble and they were just letting me know what had happened. I picked up, and my CASA kid was on the other end of the line! She immediately launched into a rundown of the latest drama, and followed that with "I started getting mad and didn't want to get in trouble so I asked if I could take a break and call you". Knowing that what we had talked about had gotten through to her was amazing and I was so proud!!

Have you used a resource that you would like to share with other CASA volunteers? At a recent community/non-profit event hosted by my workplace, I learned about several organizations in the Fort Worth area that could be beneficial! One of them was Gill Children's Services, which supports families when they have no other place to turn -- whether that be helping with rent or funding a wheelchair for a child who needs one. I also found out that the judge on my current case is on their board! I'm looking forward to connecting with them, further and seeing how they might be able to work with CASA in the future!

What would you say to someone that is on the fence about becoming a CASA? This truly is such a unique and perspective-shifting experience. Every kid you work with will be different and open your eyes in ways you didn't think were possible. It's easy to say you don't have time, but this really is what you make it! You can see your kid once a week or once a month and you will come out of this a changed person and feeling like you have really made a difference on a kid's life when they need it most.