FROM THE HEART - THe taylor SIblings' STORY

The Taylor Siblings

Advocacy Coordinator, Maggie Smith, with Eula Parker, our 2020 CASA Volunteer of the Year

When Eula Parker signed up to be CASA volunteer, she had no idea what to expect.  She knew she had a heart for children and wanted to make a difference, but wasn’t sure how she could help a child in foster care. After her training, Eula eagerly sat down with her advocacy coordinator who announced, “I have just the case for you - four children in three different counties…oh, by the way, the case has been going on for four years!” With mixed feelings, Eula took on the complex case. She was nervous about the daunting tasks ahead to help siblings who had been through so much. Yet Eula was hopeful that she could help move them into safe, loving, and permanent homes.
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The Introduction. One by one, Eula met the Taylor* siblings who she came to know as amazing, kind, funny, sweet and resilient. She began the step by step process of building relationships - with each child, their foster parents, the case managers, attorneys, and all who were part of the children’s lives. Her goal was to become an expert on their placements, as well their medical, educational and emotional histories. Due to various complicated reasons, their biological parents’ rights had been terminated by the court and so the children were now eligible for adoption. So, when Eula’s first court appearance arrived, Eula was ready to fight for permanent families for all four children.  

​The children were anxious for a permanent home, too.  After being in a placement for more than two years, the oldest, 12-year-old Antonia*, felt the disorientation most acutely.   On the day of the court hearing, Eula did a wonderful job of capturing the children’s voices in her advocacy and all felt the hearing went well – all except for Antonia. Outside the courtroom, Eula was shocked to find Antonia in tears on a bench.  Antonia was devastated because she thought she would be adopted that day.  When it didn’t happen, the happy and well-adjusted girl collapsed as her bottled-up feelings came pouring out.

The Urgency. This interaction brought on a new sense of urgency for Eula. She dove deeper into her advocacy, partnering with the case managers to gather documents, speaking with the various foster families to understand their intentions about adoption, and, all the while, continuing to develop relationships with the children so they knew they could count on her. 
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While keeping siblings together in the same home is always a priority, sometimes, for a variety of reasons, it is in their best interests to be adopted separately. This was the case for the Taylor children which made everything that much more difficult. Eula and the key stakeholders needed to find three adoptive families that would prioritize the sibling bond while also addressing the high levels of trauma experienced by the children. ​

The Success. A year into the case, Eula started to get some breakthroughs. First, Antonia and her brother, Michael*, were adopted by their foster family. Six months later, DeShawn* was adopted.  As of today, Eula is still hard at work to stabilize Antonia’s younger sister, Ebony* – an especially hard situation. Ebony has been moved yet again, but this time to a family that may adopt her.   
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Over the course of two years, Antonia has come to know and trust Eula. She still calls her about worries, mostly her concerns for Ebony. Eula remains a close friend and most importantly, her family’s advocate. It is because of Eula’s tenacity and dedication that three of the four children are in their forever homes. And we are confident Ebony will not be far behind. In our community there are 153 tireless advocates like Eula who do the hard work to lift tearful children like Antonia off the courtroom benches every day. Will you become a CASA volunteer and change change a child’s story just like Eula?
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​*names changed due to confidentiality

Adoption day for Antonia & Michael

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - MAGGIE SMITH

Maggie Smith is an Advocacy Coordinator for Savannah/Chatham CASA. Maggie joined the team in 2018 and currently manages 30 volunteers. Maggie is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a Bachelors in Child and Family Development. She is the proud mother of the sweetest dog, EV.