Jenny entered foster care as a teenager, and before she aged out of the system, her family court judge appointed CASA-NYC to support the difficult transition to independent living. Jenny's CASA volunteer, Rose, soon learned that Jenny was expecting her first child.

While Jenny had had her application for public housing approved, she needed help turning the apartment into a home and preparing for the birth of her baby. As is often the case for former foster youth, Jenny experienced increased scrutiny and monitoring from Children's Services, and she worried her child would be taken from her and placed in foster care. Rose was able to help Jenny get essential items for her home and baby, Ty, but after a surprise visit, Children's Services alleged neglect, citing dirty laundry in the home.

Jenny, understandably, found it difficult to regularly get to the laundromat, which was far from her home, between shifts at two part-time jobs and a newborn in tow. Rose applied for a grant through CASA-NYC to purchase a washing machine for Jenny, ultimately appeasing Children's Services and preventing her son from a potentially traumatic foster care placement—over something as minor as dirty laundry. Rose will continue to provide support and advocacy for Jenny and Ty as long as she's needed.