Evan’s story…
Four year old Evan was found with a cotton ball containing fentanyl in his mouth, which caused him to have severe brain damage. After spending months in the hospital, he was discharged to a medical residential facility.
That was when CASA stepped in. Evan’s CASA Advocate, Janet, spent a lot of time with him, with his therapist and with other important people in his life. Janet learned that Evan spent most of his day in a crib with a TV and little interaction with people. Although he had significant development delays, Evan was still able to learn and identify things. Due to his placement in a special facility Evan’s medical needs were met, but his educational, social, and emotional needs were not. He was languishing and unhappy.
Evan’s CASA made regular and impactful recommendations to the court and painted a picture of the child’s day. The Judge took that work seriously, ordering the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to find special schools that could immediately serve Evan.
While he was in care, Evan’s father died of a drug overdose and his mother’s parental rights were terminated – leaving Evan available to be adopted. And Evan was adopted. Evan has now moved to his new home where his medical, educational, and mental health needs met.
