Due to rapid population growth in Fort Bend County as well as a recent law change that requires children suspected to be subject of abuse and neglect to be interviewed at an accredited Children’s Advocacy Center, Child Advocates of Fort Bend has seen a 52 percent increase in children interviewed in the last year, CEO Ruthanne Mefford said.

“I really think that one of the reasons [we are growing] is just the general growth in Fort Bend County,” Mefford said. “The second thing is you have more awareness of child abuse. ... When we say we’re serving more children, that’s a good thing. That doesn’t necessarily mean abuse is going up—it means we’re reaching more people.”

Two years ago, organizations like CAFB were asked to start reviewing all reports of child abuse in addition to an investigation by Child Protective Services, Mefford said. In late 2017, State Senate Bill 1806 called upon professional reporters, such as teachers, health care professionals and day care workers, to send a child who discloses abuse to a CAC to be interviewed, creating an increase in children in need, Mefford said.

“The state called upon us to add an extra set of eyes and make sure that no child had fallen through the cracks,” she said. “Now, we get all of the reports every day. We have two full-time staff members, and that’s all they do—they review reports of child abuse. As a consequence of that, our numbers have jumped.”

The new law helps take forensic interviews with children out of the field and into a more private and comfortable environment, Mefford said.

“That’s such a critical part of our model because we have a trained staff who do forensic interviews all day, every day, and they’re trained to talk to children with age-appropriate language and nonleading questions,” Mefford said. “We have Spanish-speaking interviewers if the child is more comfortable speaking Spanish. We want to capture the child’s voice. We want them to feel safe.”

CAFB began in 1991 and is funded through grants, corporate sponsorships and donations. Mefford, who has been with the organization for 22 years, said the center started as a Court Appointed Special Advocates program providing services to children in the foster care system. The advocates work with teachers, counselors, doctors, and biological and foster families.

In 1997, the CAC program was added to serve not only children in foster care but primarily sexually abused children who live at home because their abuser is not in the household.

“Certainly the child has gone through a lot of trauma, and they need help,” Mefford said.

In response to the increase in children turning to CAFB, officials have been working on a plan looking a decade ahead to ensure there is enough space, staff and resources to accommodate growth, Mefford said.

“We’re literally going to double in five years,” she said. “There is a huge need for our services, and there’s a huge need for expansion.”

CAFB helps children from birth to age 18 or 21 if they do not become emancipated and stay in the system, Mefford said. Typically, children are with the organization for one to three years.

“I think most people think this doesn’t happen here,” she said. “Our statistics substantiate that it happens all across the county—all ethnicities, races, neighborhoods, the highest-income areas, [and] the lowest-income areas.”

 

Child Advocates of Fort Bend


5403 Avenue N, Rosenberg
281-344-5100
www.cafb.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Saturdays and Sundays