Fifteen-year-old Hayden’s life has been turned upside down. After a severe accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and several other physical disabilities, his parents struggled to provide him with adequate care. Eventually, authorities intervened, and Hayden was removed from his parents’ custody on grounds of medical neglect.
Hayden lost his physical independence, his home, his family, and everyone he knew. Now, Hayden is navigating new medical needs and a new school with a foster family he just met. The judge immediately identified Hayden’s case as an opportunity for additional advocacy and requested that a CASA volunteer be appointed. Enter Tanya.
Tanya is still getting to know Hayden, but she can see he is a bright young man who is committed to his own recovery. Tanya has spent time with Hayden weekly over the past few months, observing his medical appointments and parenting visits. Tanya visits Hayden in his foster home to check on his well-being and engages in nonverbal communication with him. Because Hayden’s disabilities limit conversation with the professionals in his life, the time Tanya spends with him is especially important in reports to the judge.
There is still a long way to go in Hayden’s recovery journey. He will continue to require significant support from the adults in his life. But now, with Tanya by his side, there will be someone to ensure that proper progress is made each step of the way.
This story is featured in the Spring 2026 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of the newsletter.
As the CASA staff member in charge of volunteer recruitment, I get a lot of questions about what training is like. So, I decided to find out for myself! I attended all five weeks of training, completed online pre-work, observed a court hearing, and was even sworn in as an officer of the court.
At CASA of Kent County, we embrace five values that drive our work: Be Curious, Forge Community Connections, Strive for Excellence, Take the Next Right Step, and Believe in CASA’s Mission. Earlier this year, Executive Director Stephanie Sheler asked staff members to decorate their doors to represent each of those values. Some were more enthused than others by the thought of arts and crafts, but everyone jumped in with unique ideas of how to represent their assigned value.
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