The Voices of Child Advocates of Fort Bend FEBRUARY 2023

With school back in session after the holidays, there has been an influx of new cases coming into both our CAC and CASA programs with many highpriority cases coming in over weekends and late into the night Although we hate to see more reports of abuse, I am so grateful to our incredible staff and volunteers for responding with immediacy, professionalism and caring so that all these children get the help they need to be safe, supported and begin their healing journey This month we celebrate Black History Month which is very important to our work Over onethird of the children we serve at CAFB identify as Black or Multi-Racial. Inc our CASA program, this number is even higher at 56% This compares to 22% for the population of Fort Bend County This is a reflection of the disproportionality of racial minorities in the child welfare system. Two years ago, we embarked on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative and brought in outside equity consultants, conducted

from the ceo

Welcome to our February newsletter!

The year is off to a busy start at Child Advocates of Fort Bend.

an agency-wide assessment of our practices and policies, interviewed staff, volunteers and board members and conducted focus groups of key stakeholders We then turned to training, revision of policies and procedures, the launch of a DEI Committee on our Board of Directors and the formation of an internal staff task force (the Champion Team) to focus on innovative approaches to enhance our services and align with our values of CHILD – Collaborative, Healing, Inclusive, Lifechanging and Dedicated We have provided staff and volunteers with cultural competency training and introduced a Historical Cultural Context series with faculty experts whose research focuses on historical and generational experiences of the Black community (as well as Latinx and other racial groups) We have introduced staff to best practices around introducing “belonging” as a key component of inclusivity and how to incorporate this into our work with

children and families, with our staff and with our volunteers and partners Our diversity commitment is to provide equal opportunities for all children and be sensitive to diverse cultural, language, educational and other practices and needs and wants so that every child who has experienced abuse and neglect can be safe, heal, and thrive to achieve their unique, personal goals

Thank you for all you do to support our common mission to Strengthen the Voice, Heal the Hurt and Break the Cycle of abuse and neglect for children. Black History Month reminds us to be vigilant in our pursuit of equity and inclusivity for all children

For the children’s sake,

Ruthanne

Ruthanne Mefford, CEO

February is. . . African American History Month

By Aly Ferrante

February is Black History Month, an important time to recognize the historic and continuing contributions made by the African American and Black community Much of America’s history was built upon these contributions, both past and present The rich history and culture of the Black and African American community provides us with so many messages and legacies of resiliency, hope, strength in the face of adversity, standing up for beliefs and justice, achievement despite barriers, and the courage to break through boundaries These messages are important for everyone, but especially for the 23% of Black and African American children in foster care across the nation.

As an organization that serves youth and families held in the grip in the child welfare system, it is our responsibility and duty to shine a light on the disproportionate representation of black children within the foster care system Historically and currently, Black and African American children are more likely to be removed from their homes, more likely to lose access to their cultural identity, less likely to be adopted, and more likely to age out of the foster care system

This overrepresentation presents the need to learn, understand, and equitably advocate for children and equitably advocate for children and families of

Shining a light on the disproportionate representation of black children within the child welfare system

color within the child welfare system To address this disparity, we work diligently to ensure that we implement practices to equitably advocate for the specific needs of these children and families

Our advocacy starts within our very own community by way of outreach and recruiting diverse volunteers for both our CASA and CAC Programs In doing so, we are able to better match volunteers with the children we serve to establish strong foundations of connection, solidarity and cultural understanding.

In our advocacy efforts throughout our CASA cases, we implement Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) to strengthen relationships, family connections and ensure that their cultural identity is not left behind as they navigate the system CFE and individualized advocacy builds a foundation for cultural understanding and prioritizes normalcy activities, culturally appropriate practices, placements, and opportunities

Our Children’s Advocacy Center’s team works diligently to ensure that the children and families we serve feel safe, validated and heard the moment they walk through the door. We ensure that the CAC environment is comforting and

welcoming when a child comes in for a forensic interview, considering cultural implications and dynamics and connect families with culturally appropriate community resources to help them feel wrapped in support

This month, we encourage you to recognize all that Black History Month has to offer us, in order to move us forward with intention, advocate equitably and, most importantly, to lift the voices of the many Black and African American families involved with children welfare.

Black and African American children are more likely to be removed from their homes , more likely to lose access to their cultural identity, less likely to be adopted, and more likely to age out of the foster care system

Elf Party Stories

By Lindsey Castellanos

I had a bike before. My mom had to sell it

Small acts often produce the biggest results. One smile to someone having a tough day. One gracious act of forgiveness for a small offense. One toy to a child you will never meet. These are the things that seem so insignificant. If our Elf Party, our holiday gift distribution to our clients, demonstrated anything it’s that the small things make the biggest impact

I had the privilege of being present when our children and families received many of the holiday and Christmas gifts donated by the Fort Bend community I wish each of you could have seen and heard them first hand It was amazing! Here are just a couple of the many, many examples of lives changed and hope given when things seemed hopeless.

A teen girl came to pick up gifts with her mother. She had younger siblings and it was pretty clear that she is a big help to her mom. The multipurpose room looked like Santa’s workshop. We were filled to the BRIM with toys. She stood

quietly by as we loaded up on dolls, Lego, board games, toys that move and play music Of course, we loaded her up with make-up, journals, a nail kit and other goodies that she didn’t know about yet I felt like there was something more we could for her so I asked if she would like a bike She quickly said “No, no I have enough, and there is all of this,” referencing the packages we were loading into her mom ’ s car I said, “Well, the bikes are here so if you want one, we would love to give you one. ” Her shy smile totally blossomed as she accepted my offer. We chose the perfect one for her, in her favorite color, red. As we were loading it up, she stood next to me and quietly explained. “I had a bike before. My mom had to sell it.” She said it just quiet enough that her mom didn’t hear. I don’t know the circumstances that required her mom to sell her bike All I know is that she got a little bit of restoration and hope she didn’t have before

Another family came to get gift with the most precious boys! The smallest one wasn’t a year yet, but he knew he was in good hands He immediately went to Jen and could not have been happier in her arms His mom said, “He doesn’t go to just anyone, so there is something about you ” Kids are perceptive We got to bless this sweet family with things they specifically asked for: a “Blues Clues” Kitchen, basketballs, Scooters, and a slide. This sweet momma was gushing with appreciation. She said, “On the outside it looks like our life is good, but it’s been a really tough year. My son went through something I could never imagine I feel so bad, but I had no idea ” While her son is crawling all around the car full of joy saying, “Can we play with these things? Are these toys going to be ours?” his mom was standing next to me, tears streaming down her face She said, “He hasn’t smiled like this or sounded like this

joyful kid since this situation all started He’s back I couldn’t get gifts like this for them this year You have no idea how happy I am to see my kids like this ”

We don’t always get to see the kids when they get their toys We let the parents keep it a secret if they want We don’t need the recognition or for children to know how this is possible, but these situations give us a glimpse into what some of our families are experiencing What a blessing it is to work and live in a community that cares so much about others. We never know the circumstances that surround our neighbors, even our friends sometimes go through something we would never know.

Our “Elf Party” is an opportunity to bring hope into a hopeless situation, to show kids that no matter what happens, you are still a child and get to enjoy just being a child. It’s a privilege to be the face that brings all of this to life We just could not do it alone Whether you gave one toy, wrote a check, held a donation drive, or adopted a family, we are so thankful for you! You gave kids hope this year and that is a gift that no amount of money can buy

CASA PROGRAM GROWTH IN SERVICES

By Metoyer Martin

The CASA program served it’s first child in 1992 with one dedicated advocate Since that time, we have served over 2500 children with more than 850 CASA volunteer advocates Over the years, we have witnessed more intense case dynamics as children and families are experiencing more complex trauma Due to the intense needs of the children and families, the CASA program increased our advocacy services

In addition to court advocacy, Child Advocates of Fort Bend has developed trauma informed aged specific programs from birth to 21 years old in a “continuum of care ” model Services include: Infant and Toddler (birth to 5-year-old children), NEST (for 6–13year-old children), and WINGS (for 14–21-year-old youth transitioning into adulthood). Each program incorporates strategies to help children address trauma, develop support networks, plan for successful transitions, and enhance their educational and developmental goals.

INFANT AND TODDLER PROGRAM

The Infant and Toddler program is an outgrowth of a national ilot for Zero to Three In 2005, the program was brought to Fort end County under the leadership of a local family court judge s a result, CASA expanded services to address the specific eeds of the infant and toddler population This program ecognizes that the early years are critical in early childhood evelopment CASA volunteer advocates monitor children’s ealth and medical care, cognitive and milestone development, nd facilitate connections between families of origin and foster amilies to build support networks During parent-child visits, ASA volunteer advocates are trained to amplify the positive nd help parents value the possible in themselves and their hildren By modeling during parent-child visitations, advocates ently guide parents to support their children’s optimal cognitive, motional, and social development In the Infant and Toddler rogram, advocates monitor younger children and attend court ore frequently recognizing change occurs rapidly during these ritical years in a child’s life.

NEST PROGRAM

Child Advocates of Fort Bend launched the NEST program in 2011 The NEST program supports elementary and middle school children ages 6-13 in Department of Family and Protective Services’ (DFPS) custody. The goal of the program is to assist school-aged children in forming solid academic foundations, facilitate positive social interactions, reinforce health and hygiene practices, and build support networks When a child is placed in DFPS custody, they experience immediate trauma and their academic success decreases Children in foster care attend an average of six different schools in their K-12 education due to placement changes during their time in care Students lose about 6 months of academic progress every time they change schools CASA volunteer advocates work closely with educators to develop personal educational and behavioral goals for each child In efforts to motivate students, each semester the NEST program hosts an incentive party to celebrate successes.

Each summer, the NEST program hosts a Back-to-School Workshop. Over the course of a week the youth learn about health, proper nutrition, and how to establish hygiene habits and routines. The youth also participate in different educational workshops within diverse settings in the community to foster relationships that encourage social development The goal is to provide resources, tools, and new experiences for the children to implement when the school year begins

To enhance educational advocacy, Child Advocate of Fort Bend developed an Education Council in 2019 The Education Council is a group of CASA Volunteers representing both the CASA

Program and the Children’s Advocacy Center Program. The Council collaborates to develop an optimal plan to assist CAC and CASA Volunteers in supporting children with educational needs. The goal is to give guidance and help our volunteers to navigate the school system to improve education outcomes for children we serve Our committee is filled with seasoned and experienced educators Among our diverse members are principals, superintendents, school counselors, teachers, and special education teachers

WINGS PROGRAM

Child Advocates of Fort Bend launched the WINGS program in 2005 to better equip CASA volunteer advocates to prepare foster youth ages 14 and older for the transition from the foster care system to independence The goal of the program is to empower youth with tools and connections to support a healthy transition into independence. The program is based on the belief that there are three critical components to making that transition successful:

1. Recognizing and understanding trauma

2.Building connections and lifetime support network

3 Supporting individual goals and transition plans

Throughout the year, youth participate in interactive, educational activities including a weeklong Lifeskills Workshop, weeklong Campus Crawl and community service projects Youth learn about managing their personal finances,

opportunities by traveling across Texas to visit community colleges, vocational schools, and 4-year universities to learn about the admissions process, financial aid, and campus life and culture They are also connected with student organizations on each campus specifically designed for foster care alumni

National statistics show only 3% of former foster youth earn bachelor’s degrees We strongly believe this is due to a lack of support for these youth We continue to support our youth when they enroll in college by providing care packages each semester and checking in throughout the year so we can continue to be a support system as needed even from afar.

COLLABORATIVE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) partnership between Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services was initiated in 2016 Interagency teams trained and began working together to engage caring adults to support children in the foster care system and build lifetime networks of family, fictive kin, and community members to provide continued support after a child is no longer in the conservatorship of DFPS. CFE is integrated within all of CASA’s specialized program. CASA volunteer advocates are trained to utilize tools that assist in family finding and helping families recognize available support systems to them Knowing that every child in the child welfare system has experienced trauma to some degree, CFE strives to decrease long-lasting issues and help these children move on with their lives in a family environment Working together to strengthen families helps provide accountability, safety, placement, permanency, and healing CFE also recognizes children heal through relationships, and that every child has a family who can be found through perseverance.

COURTESY CASA

Child Advocates of Fort Bend employs a Courtesy CASA position to make visits to children for the purpose of ensuring their safety and well-being as well as promote the local CASA program ’ s relationship with the child and strengthen the local program ’ s advocacy for the child The goal of the program is to provide knowledge of well-being and unique needs for children placed outside of their communities to enhance

trauma-informed advocacy and to empower children giving them a voice to share their experiences Courtesy CASA visits give local programs throughout the state of Texas who have children placed outside of their region the unique benefit of still having a trained CASA visit their child face-to-face

Local CASA programs can request Courtesy CASA visits for children who are in urgent need of an in-person visit that their volunteer or program cannot currently provide.

Once a visit has been made, the Courtesy CASA can report their findings and provide pictures of the children and their placement directly to the local CASA program The information gathered during the visit allows the primary CASA and their supervisor to make informed recommendations to the judge and ensure the child’s needs are being met

TRAUMA AND WELLBEING PROGRAM

Children in foster care experience significant trauma before they come into care but entering the foster care system can exacerbate the trauma When a child enters care, they have experiences of grief and loss, uncertainty, instability, and many other unintended consequences It is imperative for our CASA volunteer advocates to be trauma informed when working with children and families Advocacy through a trauma informed lens can change the direction of a case as well as ensure caregivers have the necessary information to meet the need behind the behavior rather than viewing the behavior as willful disobedience.

Developed in 2022, our Trauma and Wellbeing Program educates, supports, models, and encourages trauma informed advocacy for CASA staff, advocates, and community partners The program also monitors risk management and safety for children and families served The Trauma and Wellbeing program is responsible for ensuring culturally competent advocacy is incorporated into the service delivery for children and families The goal of the program is to support the healing process of children and families involved in the foster care system that have experienced trauma through educating all stakeholders utilizing trauma informed practices

CASA volunteer advocates are immersed in trauma informed care practices from the start of their journey with Child Advocates of Fort Bend. We provide trauma informed case staffings monthly ensuring we have reviewed the case file looking for connections for the child, understanding the challenges with any behaviors a child may be exhibiting, and ensuring the caregivers have available resources to help them meet the child’s needs to address the challenging behaviors as well

as meet their own personal needs The Trauma and Wellbeing Program is also part of Fort Bend County’s TBRI Collaborative The TBRI Collaborative was developed by four community partners including Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Parks Youth Ranch (a local emergency shelter for homeless youth), Fort Bend County Juvenile Probation, and Fort Bend County Behavioral Health Services 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

The collaborative hopes to equip child welfare professionals, volunteers, teachers, juvenile justice professionals, and others who serve or come into contact with vulnerable populations with the tools and techniques that bring healing.

The growth in services through our CASA program has led to increased and better advocacy for the children and families served. Our CASA volunteer advocates are more equipped to fufill their roles as Guardians ad Litem, and the children and families are set up for better outcomes

CASA volunteer CASA volunteer advocates are advocates are immersed in immersed in trauma informed trauma informed care practices care practices from the start of from the start of their journey their journey.

monthly spotlights

leadership 102 class - noonday giveback update - staff development - and more!

Fort Bend ISD Leadership 102 Class visits CAFB

Child Advocates of Fort Bend had the opportunity to host Fort Bend ISD’s Student Leadership 102 Class in January. During their visit, the students were able to hear about our services and tour our campus. Through a series of monthly meetings, the students are able to explore their personal roles in

community and school leadership and volunteer service We currently have a cohort of students who are coordinating a toy drive for our children and families! Thank you for the continued support of Fort Bend ISD and we appreciate their support and interest with CAFB!

Thank You!

Special thanks to Tricia Turner and the Main Family Foundation We are grateful for your support over the years and your continued support!

Thank you Carol Kee!

CAFB is very appreciative to Carol Kee, Noonday representative for her generous donation! In November, we had the chance to place orders and Carol donated back a portion of sales Thank you Carol!

Learning and Building Connections

Child Advocates of Fort Bend staff members got together recently for a day long training on living and leading a culture of value. We had the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and each other so that we can build a stronger team.

Would you like to join our team?

We're hiring for the following positions: Advocacy Specialist

Bilingual Clinical Family Advocate

Bilingual Therapist

Director of Clinical Services Therapist

Learn more and apply today!

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 Each month, you'll meet some of our staff and learn how and why they are a part of our team.

Save the date and make plans to join us! Our committee is already hard at work planning an amazing evening! Want to help? This is what we need:

Gift Cards

1. Donations of restaurant or retail gift cards valued at $25 or more for our mystery gift card pull For $50 our guests could win a gift card valued up to $200 Think re-gifting - we won't tell!

2. Wine

We need donations of red or white wine valued at $30 or more for our wine pull For $50, our guests could win a bottle of wine valued at up to $200 Pull until your arm hurts!

3 Auction Volunteers

We need volunteers to help secure auction items

To help or for more information, contact Tarina at TSheridan@cafborg

our needs

This month, we have immediate need for the following:

Food gift cards and Visa gift cards for places that deliver (Domino’s, etc ) for families that come in late in the evening for interviews.

Gift cards to Petco for Lizzy’s lavish lifestyle of food, bedding, etc…

Fidget toys used in court, during interviews in our CAC, and during trainings and child visits.

Join the Legacy Society

Planned Giving is simply another way to meet your philanthropic goals in a thoughtfully planned, high impact way Planned Giving is a way for you to integrate your personal, financial and estate planning by making lifetime or testamentary gifts There are a variety of ways to do this When the time is right for you, we would love to visit to discuss the values closest to your heart and explore how your different gift options could benefit vulnerable children for years to come, while also benefitting you and your family.

Here are 5 simple ways to make a legacy gift:

Retirement Assets, Stocks and Bonds, Cash, Insurance Policies, Property

For more information on major or planned gifts please contact Lisa at lmoore@cafb.org or visit our website https://www.cafb.org/donate/.

save these dates

February 8

CVRT Conference

February 9

Darkness to Light training

More info

February 14 + 28

TBRI trainings

Get details

February 22-24

TBRI for law enforcement

Get details

February 21

Faith Leaders Brunch

10am until noon

Contact Lindsey at LCastellanos@cafb.org for details

February 28

Sip & Stroll

5:30 - 7pm

Contact Suzanne at SSlavin@cafb.org to reserve your spot

March 9

Darkness to Light training

More info

March 20 - 31

New Volunteer Training

March 31

Light of Hope

Details coming soon. . .

“This has been the worst day of my life, but “This has been the worst day of my life, but everyone has been so nice and I’m so thankful everyone has been so nice and I’m so thankful that you were here for my child." that you were here for my child."

- Mary (parent) - Mary (parent)