Email from Alliance For Children Cold Weather and Warm Hearts From Start to Finish: How the Multidisciplinary Team helped a family through their journey Our staff and investigative partners work diligently to see that our clients’ cases receive the proper care and handling if they make it to court. Recently, a client of ours testified in criminal court against their abuser, a close family friend and neighbor, who was later sentenced by a jury to life in prison. In 2020, when the child first disclosed about their experience of abuse, a report was made to law enforcement who had the child seen at Cook Children’s CARE Team for a medical exam and then requested that the child be forensically interviewed. During the forensic interview, the child provided graphic details of years of sexual abuse at the hands of someone their family knew and should have been able to trust. After completing an investigation, the detective filed the case and years passed before it came up for trial. It is not uncommon for a few years to go by between the initial investigation and trial. When a family gets notified about an upcoming trial date, it can reopen old wounds and bring stressors that can aggravate trauma symptoms; that is when and why our Family Advocates reengage with families. In this specific case, one of our family advocates spent many hours with this family providing support and preparation for trial. She also helped engage the client in therapy, specifically EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy with one of our clinical therapists to help the child through the healing process. When the trial date came, the child had to face and testify against their abuser after many years apart. This can be very stressful for the child, and often their support persons have been subpoenaed to testify so cannot sit in the courtroom during the child’s testimony. In this case, our family advocate was at the courthouse with the child and their family to ensure they were not alone throughout the process. Our clinical therapist who had worked with the child also attended for support. The forensic interviewer who conducted the interview testified in the case not only about what the child said in the interview, but also as an expert witness about child sexual abuse dynamics, the detective testified about the investigation, the CARE team nurse testified about the exam, and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office presented the case to the jury. In the end, the child’s abuser was sentenced to life in prison, allowing the child to finally feel safe and at peace. All of our staff members are integral parts of the MDT process, and with their help, they were able to support the child and their family until justice was won. Spooky Season at Alliance For Children We had a "spooktacular" October with our clients, staff, and partners! Our Clinical Program hosted a Trick-or-Treat party for the group kiddos, filled with games, candy, and costumes. A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time, talent, and treasure to make this event special for our kids!   Christmas Connection 2024 Christmas Connection is only a few months away, but we're already making our lists and checking them twice! When resources are already stretched thin, the holidays can be an especially stressful time for the families we serve. Our pop-up shop, Christmas Connection, empowers protective caregivers to shop for children in their care at no cost. Using a point system, the caregiver self-selects special, unique gifts for each child in their care such as bikes, Airpods, LEGO sets, dolls, playhouses, games, and more! Want to help provide holiday magic for Tarrant County kids? Use the link below to contribute or contact Abby Sanchez at [email protected]. Christmas Connection 2024 SAVE THE DATE Let's Play Bingo! Saturday, February 8, 2025 - 10:00 am - 2:30 pm Live! by Loews - Arlington Alliance For Children proudly presents the 15th annual Let’s Play Bingo! Ladies Luncheon, a unique event to bring Tarrant County women together for a common cause: the prevention and healing of child abuse. Get ready to party like Gatsby at our fabulous event boasting a live and silent auction, sip our specialty cocktails, enjoy a delicious lunch, and of course, play BINGO! It'll be the cat's meow! Purchase Tables & Tickets Now! Cocktails for a Cause Join us for an evening of trivia, a silent auction, bake sale, and cocktails! Upcoming Community Education Classes Are you interested in learning how you can keep children in your life and the community safe? Register for our upcoming prevention awareness classes at no cost. Child Abuse Prevention 101 for Youth Serving Professionals (English) - Saturday, November 16 from 9:00 - 10:30 am via Zoom Child Abuse Prevention 101 for Caregivers (English) - Tuesday, December 10 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm via Zoom Register for Classes Share your Hands & Heart Want to make a difference in the life of a Tarrant County child? Sign up to become a volunteer and find the perfect fit for your time and talents to best support our mission and the kids we serve. Upcoming Volunteer Orientation and Training Opportunities: Volunteer Orientation and Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention 101 for Professionals will be offered on: Saturday, November 16 from 9:00 - 11:30 am via Zoom Volunteer Opportunities For more information about our volunteer program or to take next steps, please contact Abby Sanchez at [email protected]. Visit our website Donate Alliance For Children | 3609 Marquita Drive | Fort Worth, TX 76116 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice