With
a mission that includes enhancing the rule of law and system of justice
in Texas, especially for programs that relate to the administration of
justice for the underserved,
the Texas Bar Foundation awarded Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) a
grant to support its work in court advocacy for children and youth met
with child abuse or neglect.
CAFB
provides court advocacy for child victims in sex abuse and criminal
cases and is the Guardian ad Litem appointed by the court in civil cases
to advocate the best
interest for children residing in foster care. CAFB has a staff of two
Criminal Court Advocates for sex abuse cases and relies on hundreds of
community volunteers to serve as court-appointed advocates (CASA
Advocates) to fulfill this charge in family court
and is one of the largest services we provide.
“Child
victims of abuse often have the quietest voices and families are met
with a lot of shame and uncertainty around the abuse and what happens
next,” said Ruthanne
Mefford, CEO of Child Advocates of Fort Bend. “In our mission, court
advocacy helps strengthen the voice of the child. We emotionally support
youth
in age-appropriate court orientation, knowing what to expect in the courtroom and testifying and serving as a liaison between the
District Attorney’s office as trials progress for the duration of a case, however long.
This is
often a difficult journey for the child and can re-trigger their trauma
when they must face their abuser sometimes after many months or years
since their forensic interview.
Our CASAs
are justice warriors in civil cases for children in foster care who need
someone advocating for their safety, wellbeing and permanency needs,”
she added.
CAFB
started services in 1991 with the support of a civil court judge and a
few local volunteers who saw a need to advocate for children removed
from their homes and
placed in foster care and left with little support systems besides
Child Protective Service. The agency’s advocacy has evolved to include
services
by age group including participating in Infant and Toddler court
advocacy to help our youngest cohort (children ages birth to 5 years)
with
expedited placement into safe, permanent homes whether with relatives, through adoption or reunification through family-building services. We added Criminal
Court Advocate staff to support children called to attend hearings and testify in criminal trials. Today, as
more trials resume and are expedited through virtual hearings, CAFB is
focused on enhancing training
for therapy staff and volunteers in how to prepare for court and
testifying. The Texas Bar Foundation’s support is critical to help
ensure that all our court advocacy services can continue for child
victims of abuse.
About the Texas Bar Foundation:
Since
its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than
$24 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of
the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation
is the nation’s largest charitably funded bar foundation
About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:
Child
Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency dedicated to ending child
abuse by Strengthening the Voice of the Child, Healing the Hurt, and
Breaking the Cycle of abuse
and neglect for children and their families in Fort Bend and
surrounding counties. Through its Court Appointed Special Advocates
Program (CASATM), Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and more
than 200 trained community volunteer advocates, Child Advocates
improves the lives of more than 400 children each month and has served
more than 20,500 children since opening its doors in 1991.
The
agency’s 31st Annual Christmas Home Tour which supports its programs
for children is set for December 9 + 10, 2022. Sponsorships of $100 -
$10,000
are now available. For more information about the Tour or to sponsor go
to
https://www.cafb.org/events/home-tour-2/ or contact Tarina Sheridan at
tsheridan@cafb.org.
For
more information on how you can get involved with Child Advocates of
Fort Bend, contact Volunteer Services at 281-344-5123 or
jbrown@cafb.org or log onto
www.cafb.org.
