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Robert has suffered just about every kind of child abuse, including physical and sexual. He is one of six children born to a developmentally delayed mother who was also a victim of abuse. Robert’s father was never in the picture. Robert was in and out of foster care in his early years. At one point, his mom left him at Child Protective Services. The address she gave to authorities was a park. His mom eventually gave up her parental rights on all of her six children. When Robert was seven years old, he and a younger brother were assigned a CASA. About that time, the two boys were placed with their maternal uncle. Robert’s behavior was too difficult for the uncle to handle so Robert didn’t stay there very long. He subsequently ended up in six different foster homes in one year before his present placement. One of those was a failed adoption attempt.

"The pre-adoptive parents had been screened at length to ensure their ability and commitment", explains Robert’s CASA. Robert had been told that he would be living there forever. But tragically, this was not to be. After only a year of caring for Robert, his pre-adoptive parents gave him up saying they could not sustain parenting Robert long term. Robert was then taken to a temporary receiving home. From there, he was placed in a group home for severely developmentally delayed and disturbed kids. Robert began to copy the kids around him. It took about four months of advocating before the CASA volunteer was able to get Robert moved to a foster home, where he stayed briefly before being placed with a special foster mom. "By the time they called me, Robert had been turned down by nearly 20 families," says the foster mom. For most, Robert’s aberrant behaviors sounded too difficult to handle. To this foster parent, Robert sounded like a challenge she couldn’t resist.

At one point, the state was going to move Robert again. However, his CASA volunteer filed a court motion and negotiated an agreement with certain conditions in Robert’s best interests so he could stay with the foster home he was in. The CASA volunteer also advocated for state assistance with transportation, and for a paid assistant to go to school with Robert, as he was disruptive and difficult to control at first.

Robert has faced years of difficulty because of his developmental delays and abnormal behaviors. Recently, Robert joined a football team. It is a milestone being able to do something "normal" with his peers. The CASA volunteer and foster mom were there when Robert suited up for a game recently. "He was so thrilled and proud just to be part of the team, even though he didn’t play," says his CASA volunteer. Robert also likes gardening. His CASA volunteer is looking for a one-on-one gardening experience for Robert so he can work on his nurturing skills and self-esteem.

Robert has finally learned to trust a few adults in his life--including his foster mom and his CASA volunteer. This is a huge accomplishment for Robert. He has also learned that there are certain consequences to aggressiveness and bad behavior, and rewards for good behavior. It is not easy to undo years of mistreatment and uncertainty. His reading has improved to a second grade level. "He has become quite personable and engaging", says his CASA volunteer. A child like Robert could end up living with this foster family for eight years. "We still need to provide all of the resources possible and more for Robert to be successful -- so he won’t end up committing crimes or abusing others," says his CASA volunteer. With the commitment, stability and advocacy of his foster mom and his CASA volunteer, Robert’s future is filled with hope.