The Voices of Child Advocates of Fort Bend AUGUST 2023

from the ceo

August means the close of another summer for the children we serve. It was a very busy few months with celebrations, workshops and programming, summer camp and more for our children. For our volunteers, over 60 participated in trainings about traumainformed care, webinars about early childhood development during the critical infant and toddler years, and critically important anti-trafficking seminars. Donors enjoyed touring our beautiful campus during Sip & Strolls and received in-depth information about the impact of their funding on transforming the lives of children and youth at a Cocktail and Conversation. As we turn now to the start of another school year, this issue of VOICES is focused on our partnerships with the schools. Did you know that teachers are the #1 reporter of child abuse and neglect? Or that CAFB has formal partnerships with all the school districts in Fort Bend County? Or that we provided 35

trainings and information sessions to teachers, counselors, school nurses, school resource officers (SROs) and principals over the past two years with over 1,269 attendees? And that we also reach students from elementary through high school as well as their parents with critical information to keep our children safe. Turn the page to learn about all the ways that CAFB and the schools are working together.

We just published our Annual Report for 2022. The most striking accomplishment is the significant expansion of our services that we have undertaken over the past few years by broadening the breadth and depth of our offerings -- from 1 Program to 18 Services across 3 programs. In 1991, we began with one singular mission – to find safety and permanency for children in foster care through CASA’s court advocacy continued next page

Thanks for tuning in to our August edition of VOICES.

COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE OFFERINGS

Thirty-two years later, we still do this - and do it remarkably well as one of the only programs in the state of Texas that matches 100% of children with a volunteer advocate. But our CASA Program does so much more by offering seven different specialized services. Our Children’s Advocacy Center which opened in 1996 initially provided forensic interviews, only. Today, our CAC provides a full array of seven services focused on a multi-disciplinary approach to identification, treatment and recovery. Our third program, Community Engagement which we launched In 2019 takes it a step further to focus on prevention and early intervention through four service offerings This full array of 18 service offerings mean that a child may receive 5 or 8 or more services through multiple programs The impact has been transformational – for our

children, their families, our staff, volunteers and the community. To learn more, check out our 2022 Annual Report.

Thank you for being part of this journey as we continually strive to be responsive to the needs of our children and innovative in how best to create transformational, lifetime impact.

For the Children's Sake,

Ruthanne

Ruthanne Mefford, CEO

SPOTLIGHT: Kathy Brauen

By becoming a CASA Volunteer, you choose to make an impact on the most vulnerable children and families in our community. Impact does not always come easy. It takes commitment, perseverance through adversity, vulnerability, patience, compassion and grit

As CASA Volunteers, you are asked to wholly invest in children and families who are experiencing the most difficult times of their lives The weight of making an impact can feel heavy as you walk alongside families who are experiencing grief, loss, heartbreak, anger, and fear Despite that, CASA Volunteers push through They never lose sight of the importance of helping to pick up the pieces so that these children and families can heal

It's impossible to think of impact without thinking of Kathy Brauen, who has been advocating for children and families as a CASA Volunteer for 22 years Since 2001, Kathy has had 15 CASA cases with a combined total of 36 children She made the choice to be the impact for each of those families and children and that is exactly what she did each and every day for more

than two decades. This May, Kathy closed that 15th case a case that was open for 10 years. Kathy's commitment and fidelity in her advocacy is at the highest level. And for the children on this case, that meant everything Especially for the 4-year-old little girl, along with her siblings, who entered Kathy’s life in 2013

For 10 years, as caseworkers, placements, family members, therapists, teachers and doctors changed, Kathy remained the only constant for this child whose world continued to spiral

For 10 years, Kathy advocated for family

Whether that was advocating for sibling visits or visits and/or placement with extended family members

For 10 years, Kathy led the way in growing a support network for this child when she started with no one

For 10 years, Kathy advocated for this child’s mental health needs to be addressed

Whether it was advocating for traumainformed therapy, cold calling doctor’s offices to request a genetic test that could

determine if her medications were effective in conjunction with her specific biology or attending community meetings to urge their recommendation that this child be placed in a placement able to meet her intensive needs

For 10 years, Kathy advocated for normalcy Whether it was finding opportunities for this child to attend camp, gymnastics or writing her notes and mailing her a birthday card every year

For 10 years, Kathy always showed up She didn’t miss a visit even when that meant driving 5 hours to get to her CASA child’s placement She was at every court hearing (both the CPS case and Juvenile justice hearings), every ARD, every permanency conference and every staffing

For 10 years, Kathy went above and beyond Whether it was spending days combing through this child’s case file again and again to ensure that no detail was missed or helping transport this child to visits and

For 10 years, Kathy had countless tough conversations With her CASA child, with CPS, with partners, with family members, with judges and probation officers All with this child’s best interests in mind

For 10 years, Kathy never gave up on this child Even when the going got tough Even when everyone else did

Today, that 4 year old girl is now 14 She now has family She now has a support system She now has resources And, amidst the chaos that the past 10 years has brought, she also has happy memories All because of Kathy Even though this child’s future is uncertain and she still has a lot of healing to do, she is better for having Kathy in her life who has impacted her more than words can say

Kathy started as a volunteer so many years ago, but quickly became family to all of us here and will forever be While celebrating Kathy is bittersweet because she has decided to retire from taking on any more ases, we are forever grateful for er heart of service and the lasting she has made not only on so many and families, but at Child es of Fort Bend as well

We are forever grateful r Kathy, her heart of rvice and the lasting mpact she has made

CASE CLOSING CELEBRATION

By Jennifer Brown

In July Child Advocates of Fort Bend staff, board members and volunteers came together to celebrate and show our gratitude to the volunteers who have closed a CASA case in the past 6 months. While we celebrate ALL our volunteers on a regular basis, it’s something special to surround those who have walked with a child(ren) and caregivers through their CPS journey. CASA volunteers give so much of their time, care and compassion to others during their CASA case. They get to know and love children and caregivers and advocate for them in not just the court setting, but in the school environment, as well as with others involved in the case They often think outside of the box when finding resources and always go the extra mile

CASA volunteers truly open their hearts and give their time for the benefit of others in need, and we love to honor that gift of service It was a beautiful evening filled with love and gratitude

We celebrate the following volunteers:

Karen Adams

Dawn Anderson

Karen Beham

Kathy Brauen

Susan Crookson

Vidya Dighe

Kirsten Drews

Gregg Dixon

Desmond Jones

Linda Munsie

Lori Renfrow

Julie Saller

Amanda Shah

Martin Schonberger

Maria Sonnen

Rubina Syed

Janet Yates

Andrea Ybarra

Enhancing Child Abuse Prevention in Schools:

A Comprehensive Awareness Campaign

By Jheri Walters, Clinical Director and Lindsey Castellanos, Outreach Coordinator

Child abuse prevention in schools is a critical issue that requires the collective effort of educators, administrators, parents, and communities. Schools are required to address child abuse prevention every year. Recognizing the significance of creating a safe and secure learning environment for children, they have initiated comprehensive awareness campaigns to address child abuse effectively.

Child abuse prevention in schools involves proactive measures to identify, prevent, and respond to instances of abuse. This environment plays a crucial role in the early detection of abuse, as children spend a significant portion of their time within the school premises.

By fostering an environment that encourages open communication, trust, and supportive relationships, children can feel empowered to speak up about any potential abuse they may experience or witness.

Child abuse awareness campaigns are instrumental in educating students, teachers, and parents about the signs, effects, and prevention of child abuse. These campaigns aim to raise awareness, increase vigilance, and equip individuals with the necessary knowledge to identify and report potential abuse cases. By implementing age-appropriate comprehensive curriculum like Child Safety Matters, educators can empower students to recognize abuse, develop resilience, and build strong support

networks. Child Advocates of Fort Bend provides this curriculum along with customized adult presentations to all schools as a free prevention service.

Implementing programs like Child Safety Matters to address child abuse prevention yields numerous benefits. First, it enhances students' understanding of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, enabling them to differentiate between healthy relationships and abusive ones. . Second, it equips educators with the skills to identify signs of abuse and respond effectively, ensuring the safety and well-being of their students with confidence and the support of administration. Third, it encourages parents to engage in open dialogues about child abuse, fostering a culture of prevention at home

Whatever role you play in your local schools there is an opportunity to bring Child Advocates of Fort Bend into the picture If you are a parent or caregiver, ask your PTO to sponsor a parent’s night for child abuse

prevention education. We can customize our topic to fit your schools’ interests. Administrators and teachers can advocate for Child Safety Matters to be presented to students throughout the school year. We provide all the information parents need to make an informed decision about their children participating in our programs. We also provide follow up resources for parents and students to continue conversations at home.

Child abuse prevention in schools is an ongoing commitment that requires the collaboration of all stakeholders. By implementing comprehensive awareness campaigns with Child Advocates of Fort Bend, we can create a safer environment where children are protected from abuse By educating students, teachers, and parents, our prevention education fosters a culture of prevention, empowering individuals to identify and address child abuse promptly Through collective efforts, we can create schools that serve as havens for learning, growth, and the protection of every child's wellbeing

Back to School Guide for Educators

By Lindsey Castellanos

Professionals in education are reporters in 70% of child abuse cases. You, our educators, are the safe adults for so many children coming back to school this fall. It is an awesome and sometimes daunting responsibility. Children who need to share their experience of abuse are looking for a safe person who will believe them. The first weeks of school can be a critical time to connect with students and recognize signs of abuse. We will take a look at some signs of abuse and how to ask children about them in non-leading ways.

Connection can happen in a variety of ways and you probably already have plans of how to get to know your students. Getting to know your student is also important because being connected to safe adults helps children to feel safe. Felt safety is an important component to a child disclosing abuse. How do children know who is safe to talk to about hard things? Usually, it’s an adult that demonstrates listening with patience, respect, kindness, and healthy boundaries and without judgment.

Signs of abuse are not one size fits all. Many signs of abuse can be signs of other types of trauma or other diagnosis in a child. It’s important to use good judgment and look at the bigger picture. If you suspect that abuse is occurring, as an educator you are a mandated reporter.

Child abuse typically happens by someone the child knows and trusts. This means that people who abuse children can be parents, other family members, coaches, teachers, pastors, or other authority figures. 70% of child sexual abuse cases happen between youths. That means that siblings, cousins,

playmates, or babysitters could abuse a child. A large component of child abuse intervention is the acknowledgement that sometimes the person abusing a child is a person the child has grown to trust.

SIGNS:

-Marks or bruises inconsistent with normal childhood play – Children do get hurt and bruised of course. Usually these are from short falls while playing and are on nonvital areas of the body

-Unexplained injuries or injuries that don’t line up with the explanation given.

-Unusual changes in behavior.

-Returning to early, previously mastered behaviors such as bed wetting, thumbsucking, or fear of dark or strangers.

-Fear of certain places or people.

-Coming to school hungry or overly tired on a regular basis.

-Inconsistent school attendance or extended absences from school.

-Returning to school with injuries after absence

-Lack of personal hygiene or care. Clothing that is not appropriate for the weather.

-Risk-taking or attention seeking behaviors.

-Inappropriate sexual behavior.

It’s understandable to think that children who are being abused can easily tell someone to get help. Many of us think that if we were being hurt we would tell immediately. Many children are given that message. But it’s not that easy to tell for children. Sometimes they don’t know that what is happening isn’t okay or normal. They may think all kids get hit or that other children touching them inappropriately is not something they can talk about. Sometimes children are threatened not to tell about their abuse and that the consequences will be severe. Other children are fearful if they will be believed or that a person who they love will be taken away from them.

If you see signs of abuse or suspect that something is not right with a child it is important to respond to these signs. You can ask open ended questions about what you have observed to check in. Here are some generic ideas of how to start a conversation:

I noticed you missed a lot of school lately. How are things going for you?

You don’t seem like yourself. You usually are happy to do your work but you just got another 0. Is there something you want to talk about?

I see you breaking the rules and getting in trouble. Do you want to talk about anything?

You seem really scared of X. Tell me more about why that scares you.

Acknowledging the behavior breaks that barrier for children. They may not immediately tell, but you might be setting a foundation for a child to come back later and share something that is going on. And if

it’s not abuse, that’s great news. You can help them with getting resources for whatever is going on.

If a child does disclose abuse we have a great ways for you to quickly remember what to do:

If you are making a CPS report the number to call is 1-800-252-5400. Mandated reporters (that is all adults in Texas) are required to report their suspicions within 48 hours. You will not be penalized for a good faith report that is not founded.

Child Advocates of Fort Bend is here to support the education community in keeping all our children safe. We can come to your school campus to train staff on scenarios that help us practice our skills to BEAR with children as they share their experience.

Please contact Lindsey Castellanos, lcastellanos@cafb.org for scheduling.

monthly spotlights

National Forensic Interviewers WeekConference Thank You - and more!

National Forensic Interviewers Week

July 10-14 was National Forensic Interviewers’ Week. To celebrate the hard work of the Forensic Interviewers, the Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Council's Wellness Committee surprised our Forensic Interviewing team by delivering cookies from Tiff’s Treats and CAC volunteer Kasaundra Hall announced that she will be treating the Interviewing Team to lunch. It was a wonderful surprise. Thank you!

THANK YOU FRIENDS!

“Back to School” means new backpacks and tons of school supplies. Many children receiving services from Child Advocates of Fort Bend are in foster care or homes where something as seemingly basic as school supplies poses a financial burden. Our FRIENDS Auxiliary group had an overwhelming response to their annual drive and is supplying over 170 high-quality backpacks with membership donations With the help of FRIENDS members and the community those backpacks were custom filled with the required items each youth needs for the grade and school they will be attending this fall This small gesture makes a big difference towards the normalcy of children among their peers Thank you to Lynn Halford, Brigit Engleman, the FRIENDS Council and all who participated

Why is FRIENDS so important to CAFB? CAFB cannot purchase items directly for the children we serve due to an inherent conflict of interest The FRIENDS Council provides this direct assistance through their Special Needs Fund which reviews and grants Special Needs Requests for children’s needs which have included clothing, recognition awards, medical expenses, extra-curricular activities, camperships and other items that the children and their families are not able to afford

If you would like to become a FRIENDS member or learn more about what your $40 membership dues can help, please visit our website at www.cafb.org.

Reaching Richmond Presentation

By Lindsey Castellanos

Preventing child sexual abuse was the topic of discussion at the latest Reaching Richmond meeting, a monthly networking event hosted by Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation at Long Acres Ranch. Our trained facilitators led 46 non-profit and community leaders through the new Stewards of Children training that was just released in April 2023. We bring the latest and most research informed education to our community.

The topic is tough, but the training is trauma informed and breaks the barriers that make child sexual abuse so uncomfortable. Stewards of Children leads participants through learning facts about sexual abuse, how policies can make the

environment safer, talking to children about this subject in a way that is disarming for the adult and the child, and how to respond if a child is displaying signs of sexual abuse.

This training equipped our non-profit partners and community members with actionable steps to take to make the community safer. Parents, caregivers, babysitters, coaches, and anyone else that cares for children can benefit from this training. Child sexual abuse prevention is an adult responsibility.

Thanks to Henderson Wessendorff Foundation and Reaching Richmond for allowing us to spread our impact and make Fort Bend safer for every child.

Have you heard about our Annual Voices for Children Breakfast?

This is our 13th annual event held from 7:00am-8:30am on Thursday, September 21st at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.

Voices For Children

Through an impactful video, a live testimonial from a client and unbelievable Fort Bend County statistics, the goal of this event is to raise unrestricted funds for programs and to spread our message in the community The fundraising strategy of this event is for NEW guests to attend each year by private invitation from one of our beloved CAFB Ambassadors This is free and not open to the public; however, we want

HOW YOU CAN HELP

people to come and find out about the great work we do and to be part of our mission It’s a perfect way to give back and make a difference for the future of children and youth in our community With your help, this can be accomplished

For more details about how you can attend, please contact Suzanne Slavin at (281) 788-4818 or email at sslavin@cafb.org

Becoming a Becoming a VOICES FOR CHILDREN VOICES FOR CHILDREN Ambassador is one of the most important ways you Ambassador is one of the most important ways you can serve our mission Ambassadors spread the word to the community by hosting 8-10 can serve our mission Ambassadors spread the word to the community by hosting 8-10 guests on an agency tour and share their personal connection with CAFB We call these our guests on an agency tour and share their personal connection with CAFB We call these our Sip and Stroll Tours, and they are held at the end of each month at our Davis George Sip and Stroll Tours, and they are held at the end of each month at our Davis George campus so guests can see where we provide life-changing services, meet our staff and hear campus so guests can see where we provide life-changing services, meet our staff and hear real life real life stories of the work we do. If it is more convenient, Ambassadors can host a tour in stories of the work we do If it is more convenient, Ambassadors can host a tour in their home, place of business or worship or service organizations. Our goal is for guests to their home, place of business or worship or service organizations Our goal is for guests to have a better understanding about the silent epidemic of child abuse and learn what they have a better understanding about the silent epidemic of child abuse and learn what they can do to help end this tragedy. By helping us as a can do to help end this tragedy By helping us as a VOICES FOR CHILDREN VOICES FOR CHILDREN Ambassador Ambassador you are part of our mission. you are part of our mission

Won’t you join us? Contact Suzanne Slavin at 281-344-5107 or sslavin@cafb.org.

The Landing brings their expertise to Child Advocates of Fort Bend

Special thanks to Jennifer Perez, Youth Advocate Outreach Specialist at The Landing for joining us in July to present on Anti-Child Trafficking Advocacy and how critically important partnerships like CAFB and The Landing are for the children and youth we serve.

Topics of focus for this training were: CASA and CSEY

(Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth) Advocates, Advocacy Tools and Tips when Working with Trafficking Victims, School Advocacy and Community Collaboration

If you missed this session, The Landing will be back at CAFB in November to provide another training.

our needs

This month, we have immediate need for:

Blankets size 50" x 60"

Stuffed animals

Teen Items for the treasure room

Snack Items (Individual bags of goldfish, animal crackers, fruit snacks, 8 oz water bottles)

Additional items can be found on our WISH LIST

Our mission and our values are central to the work that we do and every one of our staff members has a role in how we meet our mission. Meet some of our staff members and hear why they are a part of our team.

Are you interested in joining our team? We have openings. Click here for more information or to apply today

Christmas Home Tour Coming Soon!

PresentedbyFredandMabelR.ParksFoundation

Whileyouarebusytryingtobeattheheat,weareinChristmasplanningmode! Weareveryexcitedtoannouncethedatesforour32ndChristmasHomeTour. SavethedateforDecember8and9.ThankyoutotheFredandMabelR ParksFoundationforbeingourPresentingSponsoragainthisyear!Ourtwo-day HomeTourhostsvisitorsfromalloverFortBendCountyandsurroundingareas. over2,000guestswilltourthebeautifullydecoratedhomes,includingthe600 volunteerswhodonatetheirtimetoensureasuccessfulevent

Interestedinfeaturingyourhomeonthetour?

Wewouldlovetochatwithyou!

ContactTarinaatTSheridan@cafb.org.

save these dates

August 1

TBRI Correcting Principles

10am - 4pm More info

August 8

TBRI Overview

10am - 4pm More info

August 22

TBRI Empowering Principles

10am - 4pm More info

August 29

Healthy Sleep and Its Importance in Child Development

11am - 1pm

RSVP to Dana at DMersiovsky@cafb.org

September 4

Offices Closed

September 7

Healthy Boundaries Series Session III

“What Does this Behavior Mean?”

Presented by Dr. Sue Profilet, FBC Behavioral Health Noon - 1:30pm

RSVP to Dana at DMersiovsky@cafb.org

“All kids need is a little help, “All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody a little hope, and somebody who believes in them." who believes in them."

- Magic Johnson - Magic Johnson