Lisa, a ProKids volunteer, first visited Brianna in the Spring of 2020. There had been absolute chaos in the lives of Brianna and her younger siblings since the pandemic began. Brianna had piled her brother and sisters into the family’s car and begged her mother to get in too. Their mother’s boyfriend had been hitting them and Brianna wanted to keep everyone safe.
A neighbor, staying safe in her home due to the pandemic, called for help and the children were removed from their mother’s care.
Lisa went to see the kids at a relatives’ home. Wearing her mask, Lisa took Brianna for a socially distant walk so she could find out how she was doing. Lisa was touched by the concern the girl had for her siblings, all under the age of 4. But at 13, Briana was just a child herself.
Lisa began advocating for all the children to continue to live in safety but also for what they needed in other aspects of their lives. On behalf of Brianna, one of her first calls was to her school – where Brianna had been unable to join online classes. When she reached the school counselor, he said “Oh good! There’s a CASA.”
As ProKids continued to advocate for all the children, we found out about family friends who had a lot of experience with children. Even with all the complications of the pandemic, Brianna could relax and know that a grown-up was taking care of her siblings and she could spend time with her friends and concentrate on school.