The eight-year advocate was honored for patient, consistent work with a teenager in her current case.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas. CASA of Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties has named Tonie Sikes its August Advocate of the Month, recognizing her eight years of service and her patient work to build trust with a teenager in her current case.
The recognition centers on an ordinary part of child advocacy that can require time and consistency. CASA said the teen initially was hesitant to communicate with Sikes. Rather than treating that reluctance as a refusal to engage, Sikes continued to make contact, give the young person space and allow the relationship to develop at the teen's pace.
CASA advocates work with children involved in the child-welfare system and gather information from people connected to a child's daily life. The volunteer role can include contact with family members, foster parents, teachers, attorneys, social workers and others who have relevant information. CASA of Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties says its advocates are trained and court appointed.
A Relationship Built Over Time
Sikes' current case illustrates why the work can depend on regular contact rather than a single conversation. The organization said she has remained present even when the teen did not return calls. Her approach was to keep the door open without pressing for an immediate response.
In an email to the teen, Sikes acknowledged the lack of choice a child can have when a new advocate enters a case. "I hear you prefer not to return my calls. I understand that. You did not choose me to be your new CASA," she wrote. "That's just one more thing you didn't have a choice in. Here's my side of our situation. I CHOSE YOU. I had a choice."
The message did not ask the teen to respond on a deadline or promise an outcome that was outside Sikes' control. It explained her decision to serve as the advocate and left room for the teenager to decide when communication felt possible. CASA said the teen has slowly begun to trust Sikes and open up to her.
Sikes also ended each message with a joke, according to the recognition. One example asked, "What do you call an angry carrot?" The answer was "A steamed veggie." The detail reflects an attempt to keep contact approachable while maintaining a steady connection.
CASA did not identify the teenager or disclose case details, which protects the privacy of a child involved in the system. The recognition focused instead on the method Sikes used. She continued reaching out, avoided discouragement and allowed trust to grow gradually.
The Work of a Court-Appointed Advocate
A Court Appointed Special Advocate, commonly called a CASA volunteer, serves as an independent voice for a child in a court case involving abuse or neglect. CASA of Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties says volunteers gather information from the people who know the child and provide the court with a fuller picture of the child's circumstances and needs.
The role differs from that of a child's attorney, caseworker or foster parent. An advocate does not decide a case alone or replace the responsibilities of the agencies and professionals involved. The volunteer's task is to learn about the child, maintain contact and help the court understand information that may be relevant to the child's best interests.
That work can call for repeated conversations and careful listening. A child or teenager may be coping with changes in placement, school, family contact or the people involved in a case. CASA's description of the volunteer role includes collecting information from several sources because no one conversation necessarily gives a complete account of a child's day-to-day situation.
Sikes' email showed how an advocate can recognize a young person's lack of control while still making a clear commitment to the relationship. CASA said her patience and persistence have helped the teen become more comfortable communicating. The organization cited that consistency in selecting her for the August recognition.
Recognition for Eight Years of Service
Sikes has served as an advocate for eight years, according to CASA. The organization said her experience has informed her work on the current case, while the recognition itself rests on a specific example of how she handled a difficult early stage of communication.
The Advocate of the Month recognition highlights a volunteer whose work usually occurs away from public attention. CASA cases involve private family and court matters, so the work is often measured through contacts kept, information gathered and relationships maintained rather than public-facing events. In Sikes' case, the organization described the result as a teenager who has begun to engage with an advocate who kept showing up.
The agency's broader mission is to provide trained, court-appointed volunteer advocacy to children in the custody of Children's Protective Services who have experienced abuse or neglect. It serves Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity counties and is based in Huntsville.
About CASA of Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties
CASA of Walker, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties is based at 2515 Pine Shadows Drive in Huntsville. The nonprofit recruits and trains volunteers to serve as court-appointed advocates for children in foster care across its three-county service area. Information about volunteering, giving and services is available at casaofwalkercounty.org, by phone at 936-291-2272 or by email at information@casaofwalkercounty.org.