Foster teen calls Lincoln home after almost 900 days of waiting; volunteer support never left her side
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Children in the foster care system have usually experienced abuse or neglect, and once in the system, they long for a place to call home.
However, getting permanent guardianship means a lot of waiting.
For Lexi Wagner, that wait took nearly 900 days, and after many different placements, court dates, and case workers, she finally met Tori, who led her to foster mom Liz.
Lexi Wagner is turning 17 years old on Tuesday, and her goals are to go to college and then law school.
Before now, her goal was to find a simple support system.
“I think it’s a genuine blessing to have somebody step up and be the consistent adult in my life,” said Wagner.
Hundreds of children in the foster system, like Wagner, have found support through CASA.
“CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and it’s a national program,” said Shelby Pederson.
Pederson is the executive director of Southeast Nebraska CASA, which serves Seward, Saline, Jefferson and Thayer Counties.
CASA is also in 56 other Nebraska Counties.
Southeast CASA has served 44 children in 2026 alone, while 26 others are still on a waiting list for guardianship.
Pederson says that volunteers come from all walks of life.
They must be at least 21 years old, pass a background check and complete 30 hours of training.
“Essentially, what volunteers in our program do is be a voice for the kids that are in the foster care system,” said Pederson.
“We always talk about the power of one adult in a kid’s life, and that’s really what our CASA volunteers are.”
Victoria Coe is Lexi’s special advocate.
Coe first discovered the CASA program while conducting research as an undergraduate.
After completing training, she hand-picked Wagner’s file when she noticed how long she had been in the system.
“I think she is very resilient to the situation that she went through,” said Coe. “There was a period of time there where she went through, I think, like three different placements within two weeks, and it was hard to see that.”
Coe slowly earned Lexi’s trust through her commitment to advocacy.
“I kind of just really fell in love with the fact that I can help children have a voice in a situation that is not ideal,” she said. “You want the court to know what the child wants and what the child needs and the concerns that the child has.”
Wagner says it’s also a two-way street that required her to believe in herself.
900 days later, that effort is paying off.
“I feel like I’m just a very self-motivated person in general, and it was nice to have somebody else who believed in me along the way,” said Wagner. “So, I guess it just helped me keep my head high.”
She now lives with her foster mom, Liz Sizer, who is now her legal guardian.
“She became a part of my family very quickly and part of my heart, and I just love her very much.”
Pederson says Seward County currently has the longest waitlist of kids needing guardianship and special advocates.
For those interested in applying, you can access more information here.
