
06 Aug Advocates Recognized
Pulaski County CASA recently played catch up and recognized 7 dedicated individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the welfare of children. These individuals give of their hearts and time to help children in the foster care system thrive. They are true story changes. One of the consequences of Covid-19 has been the inability to meet and recognize their efforts. In July we were able to have a socially distanced meeting and give out long-overdue accolades.
Advocates are nominated by their supervisors for their exceptional work and commitment on the behalf of the children they serve. The following individuals were recognized as our Advocates of the Quarter:
Teri Cox, Advocate of the Quarter for the 4th Quarter of 2019
Shumeka Young, Advocate of the Quarter for the 1st Quarter of 2020
Teresa Siegel, Advocate of the Quarter for the 2nd Quarter of 2020
Jay Jansen, Advocate of the Quarter for the 3rd Quarter of 2020
Bonnie Earleywine, Advocate of the Quarter for the 4th Quarter of 2020
Tamy Chapin, Advocate of the Quarter for the 1st Quarter of 2021
Rebecca Sims, Advocate of the Quarter for the 2nd Quarter of 2021

Teri Cox has been an advocate since 2018. She’s followed 2 children through to adoption. Currently, Teri is one of two advocates on a case with a sibling group of 6, in 6 different placements. Teri has followed these children through multiple placement changes. She does an amazing job checking in with the kids, their families, and the schools, collecting records, and writing effective court reports. Teri is a strong advocate in Zero to Three cases!
Shumeka Young has been an advocate since February of 2019. She did a phenomenal job working with a teenager and advocating for her needs to become a successful adult. Working with a teen can be exceptionally difficult, but Shumeka supported her charge until she aged out of foster care providing her with hope and resources.
Teresa Siegel has been an advocate since 2019. She has (probably unintentionally) found her niche as an extremely strong advocate for autistic children. Teresa has a special heart for children with special needs and is fierce about making sure that they get all the special services that they are entitled to. She works very well with the families, works to assist the parents, and makes great connections with the children.
Jay Jansen has been an advocate since 2008. Currently, he is serving on an ESL case. He goes above and beyond ensuring the specific needs on this case are met. He is extremely active on his case and speaks to everyone involved, sometimes with the help of Google translate. Jay has even reached out to consulate offices regarding issues on his case. He has also helped to recruit others to become CASA Advocates.
Bonnie Earleywine was in our first virtual class and has been an advocate since May of 2020. She jumped right in and has been actively advocating for a teen male. She has gone out of her way to look for ways to bond with him and ensure his needs are met at the Qualified Residential Treatment Program where he resides.
Tamy Chapin has been an advocate since 2017. She currently has 2 cases. She has been tirelessly advocating for 4 years for a child who has experienced a failed adoption. She is a tremendous support for this child and has followed her all around the state no matter where she is placed.
Rebecca Sims has been an advocate since 2019. She’s working two cases now and two of her kiddos have recently been placed in Colorado. Rebecca is great at forming relationships equally with the bio parents and foster parents and other family members and encourages co-parenting and supportive relationships for the families. She’s an essential part of the team and brings great insight into what’s best for these kiddos. She’s another strong ZTT advocate.
We are thrilled to recognize these 7 individuals for their unrelenting efforts. Each has our extreme gratitude, as do all the Court Appointed Special Advocates working to Change A Child’s Story.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.