On May 16, 2024, Program Director Denise Hanley marked a milestone that no one else has reached at CASA. That was her anniversary date of beginning her work with children in the foster care system here in Bell and Coryell Counties.
Starting in 2014, she spent two years as a volunteer advocate before joining CASA as a full-time supervisor in 2016. From there Hanley was elevated to Program Director in 2021 and has been providing leadership for the advocate supervisor team every since. Her qualities of compassion, care, and her work ethic are unparalleled as she has dedicated the past 10 years to providing a voice for children in need.
“Our CASA office is so fortunate to have Denise and the experience, knowledge of the foster care system, and her passion for inspiring and leading others to get involved with these kids we serve” stated Kevin Kyle, Executive Director at CASA. “She provides such a wealth of knowledge for our advocates and our staff members. I have never met anyone as passionate about making others understand how important the need for stepping up to help children in crisis really is. Denise makes it very difficult for others to tell her “no”…..which is a great thing for our agency!” added Kyle.
Hanley has seen many volunteers take the challenge of serving children during her ten years and hopes that others will follow soon. She has also seen incredible success rates in her casework over the years. Since 2014 she has served 291 children in 172 cases. In cases that have been successfully closed, she has overseen the reunification of 109 children with their families and had 81 children find permanent custody with relatives. She’s also worked with 36 kids who have been successfully adopted at the end of their cases.
CASA is lucky to have a dedicated leader like Denise Hanley who strives to teach others and help children in the foster care system reach a happy conclusion that represents the best interest of each child served. Congratulations to Denise Hanley for 10 years of extraordinary service to CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties.
