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 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.
“The news headline of a convicted sex abuse criminal is but one facet of a long and arduous journey for a child victim of abuse,” said Ruthanne Mefford, CEO of Child Advocates of Fort Bend. “In our mission, court advocacy helps strengthen the voice of the child, coupled with a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve justice for them. 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 Services. Today, we offer an array of 18 services to one client in a depth and breadth approach to healing and justice for children, including outreach efforts to bring awareness of child abuse so that it can be prevented. 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 $26 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 22,000 children since opening its doors in 1991.
The agency’s 32nd Annual Christmas Home Tour will take place December 8 + 9, 2023. For sponsorship, tickets or more information go to www.cafb.org or contact Tarina 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 visit www.cafb.org.
