Collaborative Family Engagement: Reflecting on the Past Year
A look back…
Reflecting back on 2021, we are so proud of each and every one of our Advocates for doing a tremendous job serving and identifying healthy connections for the children served by CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County.
It is because of our amazing Advocates that Montgomery County has had one of the lowest numbers of children in CWOP (Children Without Placement) during the Texas foster care placement crisis. In addition, in our county, 78% of the children have been either reunified with their biological parents, placed with family relatives, or placed with fictive kin (individuals not related by birth, adoption, or marriage, but who maintain an emotionally significant relationship with the child) in the past year.
We look forward to continuing to maintain important relationships for every child, building rapport and trust with their biological parents, and implementing CFE tools on every single case in 2022.
Many Blessings to you and your family this holiday season!
Jenn Engel, TBRI Practitioner
Training Manager & CFE Lead
CFE Tool Activity:
The Circle of Trust is a great visual aid of healthy connections in a person’s life.
Practice on yourself with a blank piece of paper. Use a marker, crayon, or pencil to draw a small circle in the middle of the page. Write your name in the center of the circle.
Then draw a circle around the small circle, having a gap between the small circle and the new circle. In between the circles, write down the names of the people you are closest to and consider to be part of your immediate support network or tribe. This can be a spouse, family members, friends, significant other, etc.
Next, draw another large circle around the 2nd circle, and in the space between the new circle and the 2nd circle, write down the people in your life that you speak to often but maybe not considered to be in your immediate support network. This can be neighbors, co-workers, friends, people from church, etc.
Lastly, draw the largest circle around all the other circles, and write down your community support. This can be a church, organization (Example: CASA), doctor’s office, school, specialist, etc.
For questions about CFE or to schedule a youth or family meeting, please contact Jenn Engel, CFE Lead and TBRI Practitioner at Jenn@CASAspeaks4kids.com.
EVERY CHILD DESERVES A CHANCE…IT’S YOU!
Learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer: VOLUNTEER or give online: DONATE.