The Voices of Child Advocates of Fort Bend JUNE 2024

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Inside / Inside /

CEO Update • Garden Party

CEO Update • Garden Party

On-Site Medical Clinic On-Site Medical Clinic •Staff + •Staff + Program Updates Program Updates • And More! • And More!

Welcome friends!

from the ceo

Thanks for tuning into our June edition of VOICES. Summer has arrived at Child Advocates of Fort Bend and we are excited to have a full lineup of summer activities, enrichment and celebrations for our children. We will kick off the month with our NEST Incentive Party on June 9 to honor our elementary children who have achieved their academic and behavioral goals with a wonderful cookie theme party. On June 17, we will celebrate 12 seniors who are graduating high school, overcoming so many challenges and barriers. July features a week of Lifeskills and a week of Campus Crawl for our WINGS teenagers. August brings our NEST Summer Enrichment weeklong workshop. Interspersed throughout the summer, we sponsor children and youth to attend summer camps –something that they never could do on their own.

June is Father’s Day and we honor all our fathers. Fathers play such a critical role in

children’s early years and often for children who have been abused or in foster care, fathers may be unknown or absent from these children’s lives. Our Men of CASA Volunteers can fill this gap and provide mentorship and be a strong, positive role model for our young boys. Other fathers step up to be foster or adoptive dads. Others volunteer in our CAC by welcoming children who come for a forensic interview or therapy session. Others are owners of therapy dogs who come every week to provide comfort and support for children going through trauma. And many others are loyal donors and supporters of CAFB. We honor all our dads this Father’s Day and thank you for all you do for our children.

June is National Foster Care month and we take this month to recognize all the children we serve who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care. Texas has more than 38,000 children and youth in foster care out of more than 391,000 in foster continued next page

Summer has arrived

care in the United States Our CASA Program can be these children’s lifeline by providing stability, emotional support, advocacy for their educational, medical, psychological and basic needs Our CASA team walks alongside these children in their journey, meeting them where they are and helping them find a bright future We call our CASA Volunteers our “everyday heroes” and they truly are Their dedication and commitment is unmatched in so many ways but I want to highlight the impact of three contributions: 1) Every single child in foster care in Fort Bend County has a CASA –100%! This is phenomenal and compares to 50% for foster children across the state of Texas. This can mean the difference between a child who thrives and a child who falls through the cracks. 2) Our CASA Volunteers drove 48,658 miles and volunteered 4,494 hours last year visiting children and going to court to ensure that these children’s needs were being met. 3) Our Courtesy CASAs visited 227 children who are placed outside of their counties of origin – driving across the entire state of Texas and even visiting children out of state to ensure that these children are not forgotten or “disappear.” Many of these children are in institutional settings or group homes and often have special needs or suffer severe trauma because of enduring years of abuse and instability. Our three Courtesy CASA staff can be the difference between a child keeping hope alive and giving up.

June also recognizes the LGBTQ+ community. It may be surprising that LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in child welfare systems, even though they are likely to be underreported because they risk harassment and abuse if their LGBTQ+ identity is disclosed. Studies have found that about 30% of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+, in comparison to 11% of youth not

in foster care Furthermore, LGBTQ+ youth of color are disproportionately overrepresented in the child welfare system and stay longer in child welfare systems, while also having an increased risk of experiencing discrimination and violence compared to their peers Many LGBTQ+ youth experience multiple disrupted placements with the average number of placements exceeding 6 compared to the average number of placements for a youth in foster care of 3 This compounds the trauma associated with leaving their families of origin and increasing the chances of homelessness For example, 78% of LGBTQ+ youth in one study were removed or ran away from foster placements because of the caregiver’s hostility toward their sexual orientation or gender identity The streets are home to a disproportionate number of youth who are LGBTQ+ with some estimates suggesting that the percentage of youth who are homeless and LGBTQ+ could be as high as 40 - 50%

Turn the page to learn more about our work, our people and our programs

For the Children's Sake,

Ruthanne

Ruthanne Mefford, CEO

WELLNESS GARDEN PARTY

After weeks of final touches (and a rain delay) we hosted a glorious Ribbon Cutting Garden Party for our NEW Wellness Garden & Playing Field. We began the For the Children’s Sake building remodel in 2018 and the celebration of this final phase was shared with many loyal donors who have supported it from the beginning, board members, staff and partners. The beauty and excitement of the evening was worth the wait. We nibbled on finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, sangria and listened to sounds of nature all while incorporating all five senses through the Sensory Features the garden provides. The project is designed to provide a mental health retreat for clients and staff by easing stress through a space that provides emotional health and wellness. The space will be used for youth activities, therapy walks, yoga, meditation, relaxation and so much more.

The Importance of Engaged Dads or Male Role Models in a Child’s Life

By Jennifer Brown

When I was little, my dad told me that I could do anything I wanted in this world If I had told him my dream was to be the greatest athlete on the planet he would have believed with his whole heart that I could… and would have tried to help make it happen. I didn’t end up anywhere near being ANY type of athlete, but I still have the confidence that I could if I decided to. That’s the power of having someone in your life that cheers you on, is active in your life and invested in you during childhood. Studies show that children with fathers who are actively engaged in a child’s life in a positive way also directly affect a child’s social competence, performance in school and emotional regulation.

“Nevertheless, if no father is involved, other caregivers can also serve those functions Family structure is less important than having loving caregivers meeting children’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs” says Psychology Today writer, Jennifer Lansford. This is where Child Advocates of Fort Bend shines. We have some of the most compassionate, intentional, and giving male role models in the form of volunteers, staff members and board members.

Aly Ferrante gives us two such examples… “Kurt Kirchof has been a wonderful role model over the years for our WINGS youth. Before he retired, he invited our WINGS youth to his

FEATURE STORY

office every summer during our Life Skills Program and talked to youth about education, different career paths and even helped them learn job interviewing skills by conducting mock interviews with WINGS youth

Leroy Hodge has been a part of the Child Advocates of Fort Bend family for 16 years In that time, he impacted the lives of so many children by serving as an Advocacy Specialist, but more so, he was an incredible role model, especially for teenagers he worked with Leroy supported each youth as they faced many adversities during their time in the child welfare system He helped youth to identify barriers, taught them to self-advocate, ask for help, recognize their own potential, and never lose faith”

CAFB staff started to talk about how their fathers or other male role models impacted their lives April Shaver says “He taught me how to fish, swim, bowl, play pool, cook, and participate in team sports. He always took me to father-daughter dances dressed in slacks, a blazer, and a tie and he always danced with me. He was good at playing with my brothers and me, we loved to wrestle with him on the living room floor. In the summertime we often The Voices of

pulled over on the side of the road to pick up turtles crossing the street. We put them in the bed of the truck and kept them until they escaped our makeshift turtle homes. My dad loves animals, so it was common for us to have various pets that ranged from rabbits, chickens, fish, dogs, and cats. I know my passion for teaching and companionship is rooted from my dad and am so thankful for him.”

Casey Davis reflected on her dad and said, “My dad was a quiet strength, always there with unwavering support and his belief in me was the greatest motivator that I could have asked for.”

Dana Mersiovsky tells us… “My dad was honest, kind, wise, humble, empathetic and levelheaded. He was a life-long learner. One of the greatest lessons he ever taught me was the power of being optimistic. “Snoot”, he said to me (yes, that was a nickname he gave me as a teenager that carried with us until his last days), “always remember there is so much more good in this world than there is bad”.

Whether it’s a father, or a male role model… studies show that children and teens benefit greatly from the involvement and investment men provide in all aspect of their lives.

Here are a few examples:

Emotional Security and Self-Esteem: A loving and supportive male presence can provide a sense of safety and stability for a child. This can boost their confidence and self-esteem, making them feel valued and loved. Fathers can also help children develop healthy ways to manage emotions and cope with challenges.

Positive Role Model: For boys, a positive male role model provides guidance on how to behave as men. For girls, a healthy father-daughter/ male caregiver-girl relationship can set expectations for future relationships with men.

Social Development: Fathers often engage in different types of play than mothers, which can help children develop social skills and confidence when interacting with others. This can include rough-and-tumble play that teaches children about boundaries and navigating physical interactions. Positive father involvement is also linked to better social skills and peer relationships.

Academic Achievement: Studies have shown that children involved with fathers and/or positive male role models tend to perform better in school and are less likely to have behavioral problems.

Different perspective: Fathers can offer a different perspective from mothers, which can help children see the world in a more well-rounded way.

I recently read on abcnews.com about a middle school in the Dallas area that sent out a unique request. They were hosting a “Breakfast with Dads” event and needed 50 men to attend to support the 150 students, aged 11 to 13, who didn’t have a dad or positive male role model to bring. The staff was brought to tears when 400 men registered, and over 600 showed up. Along with the breakfast, they had an activity where the men were able to teach the young boys how to tie a necktie. Due to the overwhelming support, the school now plans to create a mentorship program with various volunteer opportunities. This story just goes to show that you can never underestimate the impact that you can make. Where there is a need, we can make a difference, if we only look around.

Happy Father’s Day to you, dads, and to all of you extraordinary men who choose to make an impact in a child’s life.

WAYS FOR DAD’S TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CHILD

Craft 1

Build a Fort inside 2

Walk somewhere outside 3

Paint a picture together 4

Cook with your children 5

Play ball 6

7Play a board game 7

Go the beach, surf or just swim 8

Wrestle Dad 9

Jigsaw or Puzzle 10

Make something out of wood 11

Go to a playground 12

Build something with boxes 13

Construction toys 14

Sandcastles 15

Waterslide on the lawn 16

Garden together 17

Family exercise workout 18

Lawn games 19

Family game night 20

Backyard picnic 21

Fishing 22

Dance party in the living room 23. Visit your local library 24. Campfire 25.

Camping outdoors or in the living room 26. Playdate with another family 27. Visit a museum 28. Adventure playground, water parks or theme parks 29. Live music 30. Local zoo 31. Read together 32. Movie marathon 33. Travel and explore 34. Nature scavenger hunt 35. DIY Science Experiments 36. Memory Lane- show pictures from your childhood and explain 37. Help with schoolwork 38. Pray together 39. Fix something together & teach along the way 40.

Source: dads4kidsorg

Advocating for LGBTQ+ Children in the Child Welfare System

LGBTQ+ children in the child welfare system face unique challenges and vulnerabilities. As advocates for all children at Child Advocates of Fort Bend, it is our responsibility to ensure their safety, well-being, and equal rights.

LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system due to family rejection, homelessness, and discrimination. Advocacy efforts should address this disparity. Additionally, many LGBTQ+ children experience bullying, harassment, and violence within placements. Advocates must work to create safe and affirming environments. Exploring and understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth can better help our advocacy strategies.

STRATEGIES FOR ADVOCACY

Keep Learning: Continuing education should cover LGBTQ+ cultural competency, understanding pronouns, and creating safe spaces Child Advocates of Fort Bend and Texas CASA offer training resources yearround

Support Networks: Seek out LGBTQ+ support groups within placement agencies These networks provide emotional support, mentorship, and a sense of community Collaborate with LGBTQ+ centers and community organizations to create additional safety nets

Legal Name and Gender Marker Updates: Advocate for streamlined processes to update legal names and gender markers for transgender youth This ensures consistency and dignity

Visibility and Representation: Highlight success stories of LGBTQ+ youth who have thrived in foster care Positive narratives can inspire change Encourage LGBTQ+ adults who were once in the system to become mentors and advocates

Advocacy for LGBTQ+ children in the child welfare system is both imperative and our obligation By working together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all youth, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity to help ensure they can thrive

CAFB Opens On-Site Medical Clinic

We are excited to announce the opening of an on-site medical clinic in our CAC which will be equipped to do forensic sexual assault exams for our children who disclose sexual abuse. These exams will be what is called “non-acute” pediatric exams which means that the abuse happened more than 120 hours prior to the exam. This comprises the majority of our exams because often children do not disclose sexual abuse for weeks, months or even years following the abuse. The clinic will be open two days per week (Wednesdays and Thursdays) and staffed by forensic nurses from TX Forensic Nurse Examiners (TX FNE) who have a large, well-established forensic nursing program throughout the Houston region and beyond. In addition, they are able to provide exams for children in Waller and Austin Counties, two surrounding counties in which we provide forensic interviews and would need to refer children for exams.

In addition to this on-site clinic, we will continue our relationship with Harris Health who we have been working with for many years They will continue to operate a SANE clinic at Access Health in Richmond on Tuesdays to provide pediatric forensic exams

“Having an on-site medical clinic is a huge benefit to our children and families Children who are already at the CAC and are comfortable here will be able to have all their services available quickly, easily and with the support of our CAC staff Caregivers will not have to drive long distances to the Medical Center or even across town which is a hardship for many of our families We are delighted to

bring greater access to quality, on-site medical care to reduce the trauma and help our children heal Continuing our relationship with Harris Health and Access Health is also important and will allow families to have multiple options” said Ruthanne Mefford, CEO In addition to forensic sexual assault exams, physical exams will also be available

“We are thankful to the Fort Bend County Child Welfare Board who generously responded to this need by underwriting the cost of an on-site clinic which will mean that all exams and services will continue to be free to our children and families,” added Mefford

monthly spotlights

updates on training, staff and MORE!

A Familiar Face at Child Advocates of Fort Bend

A long-time friend of Child Advocates of Fort Bend and former colleague, Karen Sullivan, LCSW-S returned to our campus in May to share her professional expertise with staff members through a training session titled “Defining and Navigating the Mental Health Professional’s Role in Court”.

Karen’s career began 30 years ago working for Children’s Protective Services in a variety of positions from investigator to supervisor She then became a therapist at an agency in Houston and then at Child Advocates of Fort Bend Karen opened her private practice in 2012 where she specializes in working with children and adults who have experienced trauma and attachment issues along with providing supervision/consultation to other clinicians As a result of this work, Karen frequently testifies in civil and criminal cases.

Thank you Karen, for your dedication to our agency, staff and the children and families you serve. Child Advocates of Fort Bend was happy to have you here!

CAC Program Update

By Kristy Gutierrez

The forensic interviewing department is very excited about switching our forensic interviews from USB flash drives to using Evidencecom as a platform Some of the law enforcement agencies we work with use this platform as their case tracking system By using this system, we will be able to send them their forensic

interview with a simple email This will cut back on waiting time for a forensic interview to be downloaded the day of the forensic interview, or the forensic interview waiting to be mailed We will be training partners to be fully comfortable with the platform before switching over in June

CAC Promotes

Renee Johnson and Sasha Soileau

The CAC had two promotions last month. These ladies have been at our agency for many years and have done amazing things within their positions and for our agency. Renee Johnson has been promoted to Criminal Court Advocate Lead. Renee has been with the agency 12 years.During her time at CAFB Renee has accompanied hundreds of families and children

through the court process. Renee will continue accompanying families to court as well as take on CSEY (Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth) Response case management. Renee will manage all our human trafficking cases and ensure these victims receive the different services they may need. Renee has been busy with a few cases she has already received. Congrats Renee on your new job duties! Sasha Soileau has been promoted to MDT (MultiDisciplinary Team) Coordinator Lead. Sasha has been with our agency for a total of 9 years, initially 4 and then left to have her baby, then returned and has been here 5 years. Sasha reviews all our CPS case intakes from Ft. Bend, Austin, and Waller counties. Once the determination if the case meets our criteria, Sasha coordinates that case with CPS and law enforcement and collaborates what services are needed for those children. Sasha has taken on the task of analyzing data ranging from partner participation to case determination. This data will help us assess what may need to be done differently to service some families and children.

The

of Child Advocates of Fort Bend

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

S T A F F U P D A T E S

Meet Beth Murany, Admin. & Facilities Coordinator

Hi! I’m Beth Murany and I started with CAFB on April 2nd and have taken the Administrative & Facilities Coordinator position I’m so exited to be a part of this amazing organization! Everyone has been so welcoming, and I feel as though I fit right in! My previous employment was the Office Coordinator for a busy Real Estate company in Sugar Land I was there for the better part of 20 years before I jumped ship and joined CAFB one of the BEST decisions I have made in a long time! I have lived in Fort Bend County for 35 years I have 2 sons and 2 daughters that are my world! My oldest 2 are both married and have blessed me with a total of 4 grandbabies! Life just can’t possibly get any better! Well, maybe a little but not much! I am looking forward to a long career with CAFB, so get used to seeing me around!

Jen Brown and Dana Mersiovsky have both been promoted!

Hi there! Jen here previously my title was Volunteer Coordinator and now I get the privilege to be the Volunteer and Community Relations Manager I’ll continue to oversee the recruitment and engagement of our volunteers (the cruise director of fun!), as well as maintain relationships with the community for gift-in kind donations In addition to those, I get to supervise our Administrative and Facilities Coordinator, Beth Murany, and assist with Building Facilities maintenance. I’m the current editor of our “Voices of CAFB” newsletter and will continue to coordinate those efforts with the editorial team. My favorite tagline at work is “I’ll keep you as busy as you want to be” when speaking with volunteers and repeatedly say that I have the best job in the agency. Mister Rogers once said to look for the helpers, and every day I am surrounded by wonderful people who are exactly that, helpers Best job ever

Hi! It’s Dana! Previously my title was Senior Training Specialist and now I am the Training and Outreach Manager! This means I get to oversee all training- from how to advocate for our clients to trauma-informed care to taking caring of ourselves and beyond that we provide to not only our staff and volunteers, but the community, as well Finding experts in their field to educate others is one of my passions! On top of that, I’m excited to oversee the programs that we are offering and facilitating in schools and all other organizations in the way of Outreach and Prevention I have the pleasure of supervising the Outreach Coordinator and assisting her with the job of teaching the world about child abuse awareness and education one child and/or adult at a time! I’m excited to grow the Prevention-aspect of the work we do and to see where we can take it! I’m also the “budget master” and make sure that my teammates, Casey and Jen in particular, stay within their limits

D O N O R S P O T L I G H T

CEO FOUNDATION

Jackie Pham, Founder & President of CEO Foundation, Charlene Sabonghy, Kelly Goff, and donor Shay James stopped by to share 100 complimentary passes to the Children’s Discovery Center When Jackie’s three children and her mother perished in a fire at their Sugar Land home during the catastrophic Texas winter storm of 2021, Jackie was left with a broken heart and a dream

The CEO Foundation supports initiatives that closely align with core values of education and arts, health and wellness, and environmental and social impact for the children of Sugar Land and their families for generations to come Thanks to a generous donation three holly trees are permanent fixtures in our space of healing and growth - in memory of Jackie’s three children The

D O N O R S P O T L I G H T

proceeds from their annual gifts are then donated to select Fort Bend County charities Thanks to member and CAC volunteer Maureen Lake, we were a beneficiary this year This group of women gives their hearts to the community, and we are so grateful that they support our mission

PAYING IT FORWARD

By Making a Legacy Gift

We have all heard the phrase, “Pay it forward” Have you ever experienced a time when someone did something unexpectedly kind to you? It’s a wonderful feeling, and it can be contagious There was once a story of a coffee shop in Manitoba, Canada where one customer paid for his coffee and also for the person ’ s behind him at a drive-thru window The next person did the same This continued in an unbroken chain of 226 customers – a three-hour sequence of spontaneous generosity

Choosing to remember an organization like Child Advocates of Fort Bend in your will can have a similar effect A legacy gift can have a lasting impact for decades to come

Performing random acts of kindness makes the world a better place Leaving a legacy gift perpetuates that good will beyond our lifetimes In the last 33 years, CAFB has served nearly 23,000 abused and neglected children By remembering CAFB in your will, your legacy can impact the future of a child who isn’t even born yet What an extraordinary way to “Pay it Forward!”

If you would like to learn more about becoming an inaugural member of the “Forever Angels Legacy Society” or would like more information about making a planned gift that would be meaningful to you, please contact us at plannedgiving@cafb.org

In Remembrance.

Christine DeLay

Christine Ann (Furrh) DeLay, 77, of Sugar Land, Texas, died April 27, 2024 after a hard fought battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Christine DeLay was a former board member of Child Advocates of Fort Bend for many years. Christine was pivotal in early years as a CASA volunteer and generous donor. Our first CAC was named the Tom and Christine DeLay Children’s Advocacy Center in their honor.

Christine and Tom fostered several teenaged children over the years, and through those experiences and her own independent research, Christine developed a plan to help foster children grow into healthy, successful adults with a stable home. She was a visionary recognizing that children in foster care are often moved from placement to placement. She envisioned a homelike setting for children where they would remain for the entire time they were in foster care. This dream became a

. .

reality in 2005 and was named Rio Bend, a residential community equipped with a gym, swimming pool, chapel, and duplex homes staffed by child welfare professionals on acreage in Richmond

Child Advocates of Fort Bend staff and board members remember her fondly and used such words as “powerful personality” and “wise and humorous” Linda Schultz, a past CAFB CEO shared this story “Pat King and I had breakfast with her one morning with the idea to recruit her for the Board The more we talked the more I thought she was most interested in being a volunteer. So, I asked her if that was where her interest was and later that day, she called and accepted both positions of Board Member and Volunteer. That was the beginning of a long and dedicated commitment giving a voice to abused children!”

Christine could do nothing in halves. Throughout her life she carried the strength and wisdom of someone far beyond her years and was the ultimate caregiver.... especially when it came to loving on her beautiful dogs. When confronted with a problem, Christine didn't just seek to raise awareness, but to solve it with common sense and unrelenting passion. Her tough leadership, quick wit, and irreverent humor were appreciated by friends around the country and will be sorely missed by all.

“Thank you, Christine , for your vision and dedication to the children , and for your generosity. You truly had a heart for children , and we honor you and appreciate all you did for CAFB.”

-Ruthanne Mefford CEO of CAFB.

our needs

Thismonth,wehaveimmediateneedfor:

$20giftcardsforhighschoolgrads!(Visa, Walmart,Amazon,Target) 10copiesof“OhthePlacesYou’llGo”ByDr SeussforourHSgrads

ByJune12forWINGSGradEvent

20regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJune19forWINGSCampusCrawl

20regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJuly3forWINGSLifeskills

20regulationbags(drawstringbackpacks withfidgets,notebook,pen,snacks,etc)

ByJuly24forNESTSummerProgram Additionalitemscanbefoundonour WISHLIST

save these dates

June 11, 2024

TBRI Overview 10am - 4pm

CAFB Training Room

June 19, 2024

Offices Closed for staff holiday

June 25, 2024

TBRI Connecting 10am - 4pm

CAFB Training Room

June 25, 2024

Sip & Stroll 9:30am - 11am

Contact Lisa at LMoore@cafb.org to reserve your spot

July 4, 2024

Offices Closed for staff holiday

July 9, 2024

TBRI Overview 10am - 4pm Texana Center

July 23, 2024

TBRI Empowering 10am - 4pm CAFB Training Room

July 25, 2024

Darkness to Light 10am - 1pm

CAFB Training Room

“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” about embracing one another’s uniqueness.”

- Ola Joseph - Ola Joseph