A Father's Fight for His Daughter

“What are they going to do to my daughter?”
​Those were the first words Ines said to me when we met. He sat across from me—tired, confused, and in distress—holding a photo of his daughter, Michelle.

Ines is a father from Fort Worth, a hard-working man who painted buildings for a living. He was recovering from a fall from a high ladder at work, battling several injuries, including cognitive impairment that resulted from the fall. He wasn’t the parent who brought harm to his daughter—her mother had been incarcerated for child endangerment. CPS stepped in; Michelle was placed in a group home, and Ines was left in confusion. No one explained what came next.
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He had no one to walk with him through a system already difficult to navigate—especially for someone with medical issues and no grasp of the bureaucratic language around him. But what he did have was a huge heart and a deep, unshakable love for his daughter, Michelle. When I first sat down with Ines, he had no idea how to schedule his services. He couldn’t check his court hearing dates or even get on a Zoom call. So that’s where we started.

Step by step.
I trained him one-on-one—how to log in to Zoom and how to keep track of appointments. We made phone calls together, sent emails to CPS when no one was answering. I interpreted when no one else would. I helped him understand what was expected of him in the CPS process. I saw his confidence grow. We processed his fear and anxiety together, especially when he learned that Michelle was struggling in the group home. She was being pressured by a roommate, exposed to cigarettes and negative influences, and exploited. He felt helpless. “They’re not protecting her,” he told me, his voice shaking. I stepped in. I advocated for Michelle’s safety and made sure CPS supervisors heard the concerns loud and clear. And something changed.

In October 2025, during a court hearing, Michelle was finally moved out of the group home and placed with her aunt—Ines’s sister, Laura. That same day.

It was a victory. A turning point.
Ines had completed the FOCUS+ program, finished his 9-week Anger Resolution classes, and continued with therapy. Despite the obstacles, he was building a better future. Today, Ines is part of a strong family network, with his sister and brother-in-law by his side. He’s still on his journey, but now he’s walking it with tools, knowledge, and support. He once feared the system would take his daughter away forever. Now he’s part of the family team keeping her safe. There are many Ineses out there—fathers who love their children fiercely but are up against overwhelming odds. The FOCUS+ Mentor Navigation program exists for them.

And to the donors who make this possible: You didn’t just help a father reunite with his daughter—you gave a man the tools to fight for his family, his dignity, and his future.
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Michelle sleeps under a safe roof tonight because her father never gave up. And we didn’t give up on him.

Written By:
Francisco Hernandez
Senior Director of Mentor-Navigation