Last December, 11-year-old “Sophie’s” life was turned upside down when her guardian passed away unexpectedly and she was brought to an emergency children’s shelter. The shelter was meant to be a temporary placement. The standard stay for a child is 10 days. However, Sophie would end up living there for six months. In addition to having Type 1 diabetes, Sophie is on the autism spectrum and struggles with anxiety. A bustling shelter was not the right environment for this sensitive girl. However, Sophie was terrified at the thought of living with strangers in a foster home. Halfway through her stay at the shelter, “Beth” was assigned as Sophie’s Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Beth met Sophie and learned everything she could about her case. It became clear to Beth that Sophie would do best in a quiet, peaceful home where she was the only child, and she began to advocate strongly for a new placement. Initially, Sophie refused to meet with prospective foster parents. But with...