Child Advocates of SW Connecticut - 23-24 Annual Report
Our Mission
To transform the lives of vulnerable children and youth by providing trained and supervised volunteer advocates in the courtroom and community.
Staff Members
Betsy McNeil, Chief Executive Officer
Yuvanda Brown, Senior Director, Programming
Yancy Singleton, Program Manager
Board of Directors
Andrea Sellers, Co-Chair
Caron Palder, Co-Chair
Jennifer Barnard, Secretary
Kelly McGee, Treasurer
Arthur Mintzer
Alexandra Nash
203-642-7020
500 Post Road E. Westport, CT 06880
www.ctchildadvocates.org
Who We Are
Message from the CEO
Dear Friends of CAC,
It has been an astounding year for CAC, full of reflection, revitalization, and recharging on all fronts as an organization.
A few examples of what we accomplished include:
Recruited and trained our first new volunteer cohorts in over 2.5 years Held our first in person events in over 2.5 years
Recruited 3 new board members and hired a new Program Manager Revamped and expanded our training curriculum
Developed new partnerships and expanded our community
Throughout all the work to strengthen the organization, CAC’s remarkable volunteers continued to provide life-changing advocacy for the children and youth in our communities.
CAC is powered by the tireless efforts of our advocates. Their work is the heart and soul of the organization and their impact is deep and long-lasting.
Thank you to our advocates and to all of our donors, supporters, partners, and community members!
With profound gratitude,
Betsy Betsy McNeil Chief Executive Officer
2023-24ByTheNumbers
About the children and youth
We provided support to 51 youth this year, taking on 12 new cases and closing 16 cases.
45% of our cases were referred through our Community Advocates for Children and Youth (CACY) Program, 34% were appointed through Probate Court, and 21% were appointed through Child Protection Court.
23% previously in foster care before reunification or transfer of guardianship
50% live with a parent, family member, and/or legal guardian
28% live in licensed foster homes
19% are involved with DCF
11% live in other situations, such as psychiatric hospital, delinquency placement, residential treatment
8% have aged out of the system
0-5 years 6%
6-11 years 31% 12-18 years 51%
Over 18 years 12%
51% identify as female
49% identify as male
The volunteers
4% Multi-racial 4%
Over 150 hours of in-service training received Hispanic
30 volunteer child advocates
Over 2,000 hours of advocacy provided
70 hours of pre-service training delivered
The unique role of a child advocate
Advocates are relationship navigators, who are adept at coordinating and connecting the many adults in the child’s life (DCF, attorneys, school staff, therapists, community providers, parents/guardians, etc.).
Whereas attorneys, caseworkers, therapists, etc., can be overburdened with heavy caseloads, advocates can focus on one child at a time by giving their undivided attention to the case and to the child’s particular needs.
No case is the same.
Every child we work with has a different situation and context within which we are advocating.
Every case is nuanced and complex.
How a child benefits from our advocacy looks different depending on their situation, however, the fundamental benefit endures.
A vulnerable child receives advocacy for their best interests and well-being.
The closing of their case means they have protective factors in place and have found a safe and stable home.
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In many cases the advocate is the only unpaid adult in the child’s life; a consistent, caring person who is there solely because they want to be.
Advocates keep one foot on the pedal, never stopping to push for what’s needed and what’s in the best interest of the child to ensure they don’t languish in the systems.
Advocates provide the thoroughness that’s needed to research, explore, and understand all that’s going on by providing a holistic lens to the Judge or others who are making major life-changing decisions for the child.
Impact in Action
CASE #1
13 year old girl, diagnosed with schizophrenia.
DCF removed her from home, she was in and out of numerous placements.
The CAC advocate was instrumental in keeping all the pieces and people together while dealing with a multitude of challenges.
They advocated for her:
in school to ensure she was receiving the extra support she needed to change case workers to better facilitate her needs health care, in particular ensuring her medication was stable acceptance into an intensive outpatient program
For a child who felt that no one wanted her, the CAC advocate provided a consistent, caring, and trusting relationship by supporting her mental and emotional health through very difficult and traumatic times.
CASE #2
12 year old girl, grandmother seeking guardianship due to mother’s substance use disorder.
CAC had the case for 6 years and the advocate built a strong relationship with the child and the grandmother.
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Through many years of back and forth, extremely volatile situations, and traumatic experiences for everyone involved, this advocate was a critically needed calming influence.
The advocate brought their knowledge of a variety of resources, attended meetings at school, and advocated for:
the child to see a therapist consistently the family to receive counseling together the child to access after school & summer programming, and much more
ToOurSupporters!
We can’t deliver this critically needed advocacy without the generosity of our donors.
THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up to contribute this year!
Since our founding in 2010, Child Advocates of SW Connecticut has grown into a highly impactful, volunteerpowered organization of committed individuals who believe in our collective responsibility to lift up our most vulnerable children and youth.
We are a small but mighty organization. Our business and delivery model is extremely efficient and cost effectiveevery dollar invested helps transform the life of a child.
