The Voices of Child Advocates of Fort Bend MARCH 2024

from the ceo

Happy Spring!

The season of Spring officially begins March 19 and is a time of rebirth, renewal and awakening.

Trees are blossoming and early flowers are pushing through the soil. Things are coming to life! At Child Advocates of Fort Bend, it’s a time of growth, development and new beginnings. This month, we are hosting our NEST and WINGS children and youth in a Spring Break event focused on giving back to others which builds empathy and perspective that despite what a person may have experienced, as traumatic as that might be, there are others in our community who are also suffering from challenges. We can help these children grow and develop by realizing they are part of a larger community of reciprocal care and gratitude. March is also Social Workers Month and we have many social workers on staff who are dedicated to helping children and families improve the quality of their lives through counseling, advocacy and reporting. Our social workers are committed to helping our clients solve and cope with the challenges in their lives and change their lives for the better. We applaud the hard work that our social workers do every day in strengthening the voice of children who have been abused or neglected, helping them on their journey to healing and ultimately breaking the cycle of abuse. This month, we will also dig deep into the causes of abuse through our stakeholder research with children and families who have experienced abuse and professionals who

work with these populations. Our Child Abuse Prevention Collaborative (CAP-C) is a new initiative to move upstream and begin to address how we can protect children from becoming abused. Anchored in Human Centered Design, we have convened a countywide collaborative of 30+ agencies who are united in tackling this issue. From monthly learning sessions to stakeholder interviews and focus groups, to designing a Prevention Resource Database to prototyping best practices, CAP-C will be a multi-year initiative to lay the groundwork for what the future of child abuse services may encompass. I hope to see you at some of our Spring events – our Trauma Informed Care Conference on March 22, Sip & Stroll on March 26, and a special night to remember at our Once Upon a Time Gala on April 27.

Thank you for all you do to advocate and support Child Advocates of Fort Bend and the thousands of children who have been abused and neglected who we help grow, develop and have the chance for a new beginning.

For the Children’s Sake

Ruthanne Mefford, CEO

Celebrating Those Who Make a Difference

By Jennifer Brown

A wonderful human, Ivan Scheier, once said “The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering is: Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good.” We couldn’t agree more and are grateful to each of our volunteers at Child Advocates of Fort Bend who do more than they have to, because they consider our cause good.

On February 22nd, CAFB staff gathered with partners and board members to celebrate and honor our wonderful volunteers. The evening kicked off with Ruthanne Mefford, CAFB CEO, saying “In our world where children’s hearts have been broken and their trust shattered, YOU, the volunteers in this room, have opened your hearts to support them, fought tirelessly for their best interests, gone the extra mile to mend their fractured lives and given them hope. The impact you have had on these children will help them grow and thrive, knowing that there are caring adults in this world who believe in their worth.”

There is no “small” act when you are showing up for others. Everything matters. Our volunteers advocate for children in the court setting, going to their homes and appointments to be a support and hold their hands through difficult situations in their journey through the foster care system. Our volunteers sit on the floor of playrooms, playing games and doing arts and crafts with kids while they wait for appointments to ensure they have a good experience. Our volunteers show up to support staff with projects that assist us in hosting events, everything from our Gala to community fairs and educational opportunities. Weekly, our volunteers share their time with us so they can welcome guests, assist with staff needs and make sure our facility is always ready for visitors, both clients and partners. Our volunteers sit in meetings and come up with ways to make CAFB even better going forward. There is not a volunteer job too small. It all makes a huge difference. Our volunteers bring joy to others on a daily basis. They look out for others and make time to show up.

We are grateful for every one volunteers and are proud to honor them

Here are the award winners for 2023:

CAC Rookie of the Year- Kathy Roos dedication and willingness to do whatever to make children, families and partne welcome.

CAC Volunteer of the Year- Charlie Ho her special ability to put caregivers at e friendly smile and ability to leave a wake o smiles and laughter wherever she goes.

CASA Rookie of the Year- Jackie Kilpatrick fo ways to advocate for the families in a way the felt seen and heard and loved

CASA Volunteer of the Year- Julia Jagnana for being the light for her CASA children and b their “ person ” , their advocate, their confidan their shoulder to lean on, their force to b reckoned with, their voice of reason, the mountain mover and their everyday “glimmer”.

Mariel Barrera Champion for ChildrenSusan Greer for navigating the child welfare system with grace and intention, seeing people and hearing them and focusing on the humanity and dignity of the child she is advocating for, but not stopping there

Community Volunteer of the YearJohnson Development Corp. for their generosity and their belief in our mission and their willingness to show support not only in Fort Bend County, but throughout the Greater Houston area.

Development Volunteer of the YearAguirre & Fields for seeing a need, giving back, making a difference, and being part of the solution.

Outreach Volunteer of the YearElizabeth Barrow for her ability to command a room and speak to children in a way that disarms any child who might be nervous about the topics at hand

Helping Heart Award- Susan Krause for her dedication, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others (whether they realize it or not).

Unsung Hero Award- Lynne Spiwak for being a quiet servant leader who supports us all and is incredibly competent in everything she does.

Child Advocate of the Year Award- David Lanagan for his passion for Child Advocates of Fort Bend, his dedication to the children, his generosity and compassion and for being 100% engaged from the smallest detail to the largest strategic vision

It was a great evening So many laughs, hugs and the appreciation was overflowing Our volunteers at CAFB really are GEMS and we couldn’t do the work we do without them.

Social Work Practices at Child Advocates of Fort Bend

By Metoyer Martin

Social work is a multifaceted field aimed at addressing individual and societal issues through various interventions - at both a micro and macro level

Through micro-level social work, our staff performs therapeutic and case management services to individual clients and families through direct interventions and one-to-one support Part of our mission is to strengthen the voice of the child and heal their hurt With 20 of our 51 staff members holding a degree in social work, MSW, or LMSW credentials, we are well-equipped to perform at the micro-level

Child Advocates of Fort Bend serves children and families utilizing both Micro and Macro practices Macro-level social work operates at a roader level, targeting communities, organizations, and policies

Our staff and Board Legislative Advocacy Team engage with policymakers, legislators, and community leaders to inform them of issues faced by abused and neglected children We participate in CAC and CASA Days at the Capitol to champion policies that will help the population we serve

We participate annually in the Fort Bend County Community plan meeting along with many other community initiatives to address at risk populations Collectively, our services address the immediate health needs while mitigating the long-term effects of abuse to children and costs to society from untreated child trauma

The fidelity of our work is grounded in collaboration and coordination across agencies in which CAFB plays both

convener and direct services provider. This is critical so that we do not duplicate services, cause additional trauma to children who are abused, are aligned around a singular focus or waste time or resources. This partnership model is robust and is called the MultiDisciplinary Team (MDT).

We develop an annual strategic plan as well as quarterly program evaluation to ensure that we are meeting the evolving needs of our clients.

We are currently conducting research on child abuse prevention through a Child Abuse Prevention Collaborative (CAP-C) project with 30 area child welfare agencies. We hope to get in front of abuse by educating the community on prevention methods.

We educate the community through targeted outreach about abuse awareness, safety messaging and prevention to reduce incidences of abuse. Addressing abuse prevention at the forefront can have a transformational impact in our community.

We provide numerous training courses to our staff, volunteers, and partner agencies to provide a multitude of resources to better help all the children and families we serve.

Macro social workers play a pivotal role in advocating for systemic changes, empowering communities, contributing to

organizational development, conducting research and evaluation to inform evidencebased practices and policy development, collaborating with micro-level practitioners, advocating for the rights and empowerment of their clients. Collaboration between macro and micro-level social work is essential for achieving comprehensive and sustainable solutions to complex social problems, such as the epidemic of child abuse.

Child Advocates of Fort Bend is equipped through staff, Board members and volunteers to address these solutions each and every day.

SAVE THE DATE and make plans to join us for our Once Upon a Time Gala for the Children

We are hard at work planning an amazing evening Start thinking about festive dress – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella just to name a few of the story books that will be a part of our festive evening!

Want to be a part of this fun event?

Please see the following for our current needs:

1) LIVE & VIP ITEMS

Destination trips to include second homes, time shares, hotel contacts, airline points

Tickets to Sporting Events or the Theater

Exclusive and rare liquor or wine, single or collections

2) SILENT AUCTION ITEMS

Memorabilia, Spa items, golf green fees, golf lessons

Themed baskets such as gardening, movie night, summer, wine/liquor with specialty food

Think NEW items that you would like to donate to a good cause – we will build a basket!

3) SPONSORSHIP/TICKETS

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT, Share with your friends

Check out our website here for Sponsorship information

Round up your friends and purchase tickets starting March 1

Contact Tarina Sheridan, TSheridan@cafb.org for more information or to sign up today!

monthly spotlights

Training, Gala and MORE!

Child Sex Trafficking Care Coordination (CST-CC) Summit

Child Advocates of Fort Bend hosted our kickoff meeting of stakeholders to address the critical issue of child sex trafficking in Fort Bend County. In partnership with Governor Abbott’s Child Sex Trafficking Team and as the coordinator of the care for children who are trafficked and exploited in Fort Bend County, CAFB brings together inter-agency, multi-disciplinary partners who collectively work towards effective solutions for supporting and protecting the youth in our county.

Pictured at the Summit are: Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office Prosecutor Craig Priesmeyer, CAFB Children’s Advocacy Center Program Services Director Kristy Gutierrez, Regional Advisor for the Office of the Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team Kellye Turner, CAFB CEO Ruthanne Mefford and TRIAD Resource Services Manager Tamsa McGowan.

Child Advocates of Fort Bend is excited to announce that we will be serving as the organization agency overseeing the Fort Bend TBRI Collaborative The goal of the Fort Bend TBRI Collaborative is to support the healing process for Fort Bend youth who have experienced trauma by facilitating training based upon Trust Based Relational Intervention Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is an attachment based, trauma-informed intervention designed to

meet the complex needs of vulnerable children CAFB will be responsible for coordinating public training and supporting the growth and development of TBRI in Fort Bend County The Collaborative hopes to equip child welfare professionals, volunteers, teachers, juvenile justice professionals, law enforcement, families and others who come into contact with youth in need of tools and techniques that bring healing and hope to vulnerable children

TheFREECaregiverTrainingSeriesforprofessionalsandcaregiverswhoworkwithchildren whohaveexperiencedtraumaconsistsof4sessions,6hourseach,beginningwith Introduction and Overview* followed by the Principles of Connecting, Empowering and Correcting It is designedforusewithchildrenandyouthofallagesandrisklevels.

UPCOMINGDATES:

March12,2024-IntroductionandOverview*

*IntroandOverviewmustbecompletedpriortoPrinciples

March26,2024-ConnectingPrinciples

Location:

GusGeorgeLawEnforcementAcademy

1521EugeneHeimannCircle,2ndFloorClassroom,Richmond,TX77469

Questions?ContactDanaMersiovskyatDMersiovsky@cafb.org

For five years CAFB has been the grant recipient of funds from the Charity Guild of Catholic Women. This generous group of women have most recently supported the expansion of our agency services, and over the years supported our Forensic Interviewers, Therapy and Family Advocates, and CASA Advocate training and counseling. The mission of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women is to benefit children’s charities all over the greater Houston area. For over 100 years proceeds from their Charity Guild Shop have helped over 153 unique charitable organizations receive grants in excess of $6,370,000. We are grateful for their support and partnership.

https://charityguildshop.org/

CAFB was the recipient of 100 tickets to the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center to share with the children and families we serve thanks to the CEO Foundation This local foundation held their 2nd annual Gala in support of the empowerment of the next generation of leaders, innovators and changemakers Founder Jackie Pham says “The CEO Foundation is committed to supporting philanthropic initiatives and deploying capital investments to support a pathway for a brighter future” We thank them for their generosity and support

Pictured are: CAFB Board Vice President Jill Curtis, Development Director Lisa Moore and CEO Ruthanne Mefford

Visit them to read their story

https://www.ceofoundation.org/

S T A F F U P D A T E

Stephanie Helton, MSW

Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator

I recently joined the team as an MDT Coordinator and I have finally found my calling! I have 4 degrees, as I could never make up my mind on what I wanted to do in life. I have an Associates degree in General Studies, an Associates degree in Accounting, a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education, and a Masters in Social Work.

I have always looked up to my grandparents as they were foster/adoptive parents for 23 years I knew I wanted to help kids in some way, so I applied to CPS as a family-based safety services worker I worked for CPS for 13 years The success stories were the one thing that kept me at the agency for so long

I have a huge passion for helping children and being a voice for them I am very happy to have the new position as MDT Coordinator here at Child Advocates of Fort Bend with the CAC I am loving my journey so far, and can’t wait to continue to grow in this agency

Erin Rollinson

Forensic Interviewer

In February, I changed roles and moved from the CASA Team as a CFE Coach over to the CAC as a Forensic Interviewer. I am excited to complete Forensic Interviewer training to learn new skills to better assist children.

I graduated from Grambling State University with my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Criminal Justice. I have worked over ten years in child welfare in Ohio, as a Case Worker and Facilitator. I have experience working with several different populations providing community supports. I have been in Texas now for about 1 ½ years at CAFB. I have been able to assist families with building and strengthening healthy connections as a CFE Coach.

Fun Facts: I love all things Cincinnati, Ohio (Go Bengals and Reds). I enjoy cooking and shopping. I spend a lot of my time with my eightyear-old daughter still exploring Texas. I am still amazed when I see cows or any wildlife on the side of the road.

Being able to properly thank our donors is something we take very seriously at Child Advocates of Fort Bend Without your generous contributions, we would not be able to provide services to the thousands of abused and neglected children we help each year

With our recent launch of the “Forever Angels Legacy Society” we have been so grateful to learn of donors who have already made plans to honor CAFB with a legacy gift in the future but had not previously made our organization aware of their plans We understand the desire by some for privacy, but if you have made a current gift, for example, through a Donor Advised Fund (which comes to us anonymously through the fund manager) we would love to be able to properly thank you

We are planning a special “Forever Angels Legacy Society” donor wall to prominently display the names of those who have made or intend to make a planned gift to CAFB These gifts are vital to CAFB and will help secure and sustain the agency ’ s future vision long after many of us are gone We don’t want to leave anyone out

Please contact Nancy Olson at plannedgiving@cafb.org if you would like to update your legacy plans If you would like to learn more information about planned giving, please log on to our website at www.cafb.org

Please consider becoming a “Forever Angel” so that your legacy will become their future.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Doug Earle

As a former board member and regular volunteer at the Children’s Advocacy Center , Doug Earle has been a loyal supporter of CAFB for over a dozen years He has also supported the agency financially through Voices for Children , our annual Christmas Home Tour and Gala So , when he and his wife Ellen decided to update their wills they said it was an easy choice to set aside a future gift for CAFB “I certainly realize the superior services provided to children and families by Child Advocates of Fort Bend Regretfully, I suspect those same services will still be needed after I die. For that reason , I believe that a legacy gift will help those in need for years to come I am joyful to be able to make both gifts, both annually and “forever , ” says Doug

He also knows that if circumstances change, his gift is revocable prior to death His willingness to share his family’s legacy plans helps CAFB better forecast for the future

/ The Voices of Child Advocates of Fort Bend/

Faith Leaders Brunch

By Jen Brown

There are so many threads that connect our community in Fort Bend County Faith Leaders Brunch was just another example of the unity that binds us These leaders are all called our faith, convictions and values to take care of children and to keep our community safe for everyone

In February, we hosted many different congregation representatives from the Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Hindu communities to learn more about the work of Child Advocates of Fort Bend We also invited our community partners who work with children and youth who are at risk or who provide resources We were able to speak about the issues of child abuse and what everyone in the room could do to support children and youth in foster care, specifically, and in our community as a whole It was a great opportunity to gain knowledge of needs and resources

Our partner agencies included: Arms Wide

removal day less traumatic and more comforting for the children

The Landing

They provide human trafficking resources of all kinds They have drop in services, outreach and do youth advocacy They see children through adults of 24 years They do street initiatives and support the children, as well as the families of those victimized.

They provide resources to adoptive and PMC families, among other things.

Arrow Child and Family Ministries

They provide foster and adoptive care services, Behavioral Health Services, Kinship and Reunification services for families.

Cultivating Families

They raise awareness about foster care, who the children and families are, how you can help.

Isaiah 117

They are raising awareness about what removal day looks like for children who are in the CPS system and in the beginning stages of building a home to make that

Project Protect Our Children

This anti-human trafficking organization provides training to children, as well as parents in what exactly human trafficking is, how it happens in relationships and online, what the red flags are and how to respond.

Collaboration is the key to prevention and Child Advocates of Fort Bend is proud to collaborate with so many faith leaders and community organizations that want to be a part of making children’s lives better.

If you would like Child Advocates of Fort Bend to come and talk to your organization, please email Outreach@cafb.org .

Youth in Philanthropy

By Lindsey Castellanos and Jennifer Brown

We were excited to welcome the Youth in Philanthropy students on Saturday, February 10, 2024 Our partnership with The George Foundation allows us to expose High School juniors and seniors in our area to some of the experiences of their peers who have received services with our Children’s Advocacy Center or CASA program

A group of 20 students came in with curiosity and passion for learning more about their community They were able to tour the rooms where children tell their story for the first time, where those same children journey through the healing process and transform their lives to move forward with hope to achieve their goals They saw the treasure room where our advocates come to get needed supplies or toys for visits they make with their children in foster care placements We showed them the tools we use through Trauma Informed Care to connect with all the children we serve and meet them where they are

This day wasn’t just about showing them the work we do, but getting them actively involved in changing the lives of children around them and showing appreciation to the work that is being done Students were able to help pack prevention packs that are given to children at schools and in our community via booths at Outreach events

The YIP students were also able to make items to hand out as giveaways at our Child Abuse Prevention Month event, Light of Hope, in April The bracelets made from beads of all different colors blue, will be used to symbolize, and promote awareness around Child Abuse Prevention We talked about safety strategies and encouraged them to continue to normalize the abuse conversation in their circles so they can lead with intention to make the community a safter place for children to grow up It was a pleasure to meet with and get to know these kids!

Thismonth,wehaveimmediateneedfor:

Snackbags:individualservingbagsof goldfish,teddygrahams,andfruitsnacks insandwichbaggies

Ourkidsintherapyneed:

WreckThisJournal(20needed)

Oh,ThePlacesYou‘llGo!book(20needed)

Inaddition,weneedthefollowing:

$20giftcardsforhighschoolgrads!(Visas, Walmart,Amazon,Target)

ByJune12forWINGSGradEvent

18regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJune19forWINGSCampusCrawl

18regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJuly3forWINGSLifeskills

18regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJuly24forNESTSummerProgram

Additionalitemscanbefoundonour WISHLIST

March 22, 2024

Trauma Informed Care Conference

9am -1pm

Rosenberg Civic Center

3825 TX-36, Rosenberg, TX 77471

Contact Dana at DMersiovsky@cafb.org to reserve your spot

April 4, 2024

FRIENDS Spring Fling

6pm - 8pm

April 5, 2024

Light of Hope

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Sugar Land Town Square

“Remember that the happiest people are not “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. ” those getting more, but those giving more. ”

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.