Child Advocates of Fort Bend Expanding to Meet Increase in Need for Services  

On March 29th, Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) broke ground on the new Davis George Campus at 5403 Avenue N in Rosenberg, TX. CAFB’s plans for expansion were driven by significant increases in the reporting of child abuse and referrals in Fort Bend County. In 2018, CAFB served 2,586 children and families whose lives were touched by abuse or neglect. This dramatic rise of 23% over the prior year forces many children to wait six to eight weeks to receive the therapy services they need. CAFB expects the number of families and children served will double in the next five years.

To meet this demand, the campus will include 9,000 additional square feet to double the space needed for forensic interview rooms and therapy rooms. It will completely renovate its current 18,000 sq. feet and provide room for 25 additional staff and many more volunteer trainees. On the project is architect Gensler and project manager Darrell Roth of RMG. Forney Construction will begin construction this spring. CAFB will relocate its Children’s Advocacy Center services to temporary offices at 6415 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and its Court Appointed Special Advocates Program and administrative offices to Fort Bend County Justice Center at 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle, 2nd Floor, Richmond, TX 77469 during the building and renovation.

“We are here so that no child falls through the cracks in Fort Bend County,” said Ruthanne Mefford, Child Advocates of Fort Bend Chief Executive Officer. “This newly remodeled and expanded building will ensure we can serve every child who needs our services now and into the future.”

To fund construction and expanded operations, CAFB launched a Capital Campaign called For The Children’s Sake chaired by Nancy Olson with counsel from Dini Spheris. To date, CAFB has raised $5.9 million toward the campaign’s goal of $8 million. 100% of its Board of Directors have made a financial commitment. In late 2018, The George Foundation quietly kicked off the campaign with a $2 million grant commitment. Additional generous supporters include The Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation, Houston Endowment, Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation, BGE, Sprint Waste, OCuSOFT, Gulf Coast Medical Foundation and Amegy Bank.

“We need the community to step up now more than ever. I cannot think of a sector of our society who deserves attention more than abused and neglected children. A child who is brave enough to come forward and disclose abuse shouldn’t have to wait in line for help. We can’t have that in Fort Bend County,” said Olson.

CAFB has a unique opportunity to receive a $1M matching grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Oklahoma if it raises $1.4 million in community support in the next nine months, essentially doubling the impact of every donation from now until the match is completed.

For more information about the campaign or to learn about potential naming opportunities on the new campus, please contact Jessica Jubin, Development Officer & Campaign Manager jjubin@cafb.org (281) 344-5136.

About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:

Child Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency dedicated to ending child abuse by providing a voice, healing the hurt, and breaking the cycle of child abuse in Fort Bend County. 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

over 400 children each month and has served 16,565+ children since opening its doors in 1991. Volunteers are needed to help in the agency’s Children’s Advocacy Center, in the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program and for community outreach and events.

Breaking ground on Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s new Davis George Campus are CAFB Board Members with representatives from The Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation, The George Foundation, Gulf Coast Medical Foundation, Sprint Waste and the Houston Endowment. Shown L to R are: Dave Johnston, Jim Lockwood, Child Advocates of Fort Bend CEO Ruthanne Mefford, For The Children’s Sake Campaign Chair Nancy Olson, Valerie Golden, Jack H. Moore, Mike Smith, Lane Ward, Dave Nelson, Quynh-Anh McMahan, Tom McNutt, Ammie Blahuta, Tonyel Edwards, Jim McClellan and Child Advocates of Fort Bend Board President Pat Somers.

For more information on how individuals can become a Voice for Children Ambassador and get involved with Child Advocates of Fort Bend, contact Dana Mersiovsky for an introductory tour at   281-344-5106 or dmersiovsky@cafb.org or log onto www.cafb.org.