Nanci House

As a Southeastern Kentucky native who has lived in Lexington for 27 years, Nanci has made a legal career of helping members of her community through some of the most personal, vulnerable and critical stages of their lives. She is a partner at White, McCann & Stewart, PLLC, in Winchester, Kentucky, where she has practiced for 20 years as a trial attorney, handling every aspect of family law, including custody arrangements and disputes, divorces, adoptions, separations, post and prenuptial agreements, child support matters, grandparents’ visitation, paternity, termination of parental rights and abuse neglect and dependency defense.

Nanci practices in Fayette, Clark, Madison, Montgomery and Powell counties on a regular basis. She is available for her clients’ questions and concerns; she helps her clients understand the legal process, make thoughtful, informed decisions and implement realistic and reasonable solutions.

Just as she is with representing her clients, Nanci is dedicated to improving her community. She is committed to improving the lives of children in foster care, working closely with and as a board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) in Clark and Madison counties. Nanci has represented hundreds of children in foster care and is dedicated to ensuring they have a voice, the basic items they need, making real changes to the shortfalls in the system affecting their lives, as well as bringing more recognition, volunteers and funding to CASA.

Nanci is past president and current board member of Chrysalis House - Kentucky’s oldest and largest licensed residential treatment program for women with substance use disorders that allows them to bring their children with them to treatment. She is a past president and sustaining member of the Junior League of Lexington, board member of The Well of Lexington, member of the Women’s Club of Central Kentucky and friend and former board member of the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky.

Nanci loves spending time with her friends and family, including her rescue cats, Lizzie and Leo.

What is CASA?

The National CASA/GAL Association supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every child who has experienced abuse or neglect can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive.

CASA/GAL volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. They serve children from birth through the age defined by state statute as the limit to youth remaining in care.

Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child.

Their best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin, if that can be safely achieved. Most of the children they work with are in foster care, but some are with their family of origin. And, most children who leave foster care do so to return to their family.

They seek opportunities, embrace challenges, and accept changes that will improve their work supporting the network. They are willing to adapt thinking and behavior to address the changing conditions around them. They do this by:

• Maintaining productivity despite the occurrence of unknown situations

• Thinking innovatively and outside perceived boundaries to solve a problem

• Making quick and effective decisions when confronted with challenges and crises