Created by: V . Danette Cummings, Taylor County CWB

1. Created by: V. Danette Cummings, Taylor County CWB

3. The mission of TCCWB is to support a statewide network of volunteers concerned with the welfare of children, especially those who are abused and neglected. •  The vision of TCCWB is to lead a cohesive network of child welfare boards supporting services to vulnerable children and families and promoting prevention of child abuse and neglect so that all children live in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment.

4. Officers and members advocate for children through: • encouraging legislation to provide services to abused and neglected children and to prevent child abuse; • working with child protective services (CPS) staff on programs that meet children’s needs; • networking with other agencies and organizations to provide the best care for abused and neglected children; and • working to prevent abuse and neglect through public awareness and joint cooperation.

5. Duties of TCCWB delegates: • Attending TCCWB meetings & committee meetings • Serving & actively participating in at least one committee • Reviewing and preparing prior to meetings • Submitting County/Regional Report Form • Relaying information to Regional Council (CWAC) • Educating CWAC & CWBs on available resources • Assist in formulating and evaluating TCCWB goals & objectives • Notifying TCCWB of changes in contact information • Informing TCCWB of regional events for posting on website • Submitting documentation of expenses after meeting

6. Regional Child Welfare Board Advisory Council The mission of the regional council is to advocate for the welfare of children and to assist local boards in achieving their goals. Regional councils provide training and information on regional and statewide issues. Presentations may include information from the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards; information about current CPS initiatives and CPS policies/ procedures; legislative issues related to Child Protective Services and local regional issues impacting services to families and children. The regional councils operate according to each region’s needs and wishes. In most instances, each local board elects one or two delegates as their representative to the regional council. Each regional council elects two to three members to represent their council at the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards. For specifics, refer to the TCCWB bylaws.

7. Duties of regional delegates are: • Reporting local CWB activities and concerns to the Regional Council • Relaying information obtained at Regional Council meetings back to CWB • Educating oneself and the CWB on child abuse/neglect and resources available for prevention, intervention, and treatment • Regularly attending Regional Council meetings • Actively participating in the Regional Council’s committees and activities

8. Local Child Welfare Boards • The Texas Family Code, §264.005, provides for the appointment of county residents to a child welfare board (CWB) by the county commissioners court. The CWB is an entity of DFPS for the purposes of providing coordinated state and local public welfare services for children and their families, and coordinating the use of federal, state, and local funds for those services. Since CWB members are appointed by the commissioners court, CWB's are also an extension of that entity.

9. Local CWB Organizational Requirements: An active and effective CWB possesses a clear sense of purpose and a strong organizational framework. Members are well-informed and able to commit the time required for CWB meetings and activities. Each CWB should have: • Mission statement • Annual goal setting meeting • Bylaws approved by the commissioners court • Annual budget • Current roster of members • Job descriptions for officers, members, and committees • Timely orientation for new members • Post meeting agenda 72 hours prior to each CWB meeting

10. Responsibilities of CWB members: • Attending all board meetings and assigned committee meetings; • Reviewing the agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings; • Serving on committees or task forces and offering to take on special assignments; • Staying informed about the board’s mission, policies, and services, and about the CPS program, staff , and child abuse and neglect issues; • Informing the community about the child welfare program; • Helping to develop, recommend, and present the annual budget to the commissioners court; • Enhancing processes and decisions in support of child welfare services and opportunities for CPS staff recognition; • Adhering to annual background checks, conflict of interest and confidentiality policies; • Assisting with building an informed and supportive constituency; • Recruiting, training, and developing new CWB members; • Serving as a liaison to other resources for abused and neglected children in the community; and • Facilitating the solution of child welfare-related problems in the community

11. State Requirement of Child Welfare Board Members Members are expected to know and comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, Government Code 551. State law requires members, as appointed officials, to receive training on the Open Meetings Act and the Public Information Act within 90 days from the date of the appointment. Must print a copy of course completion certificate and file a copy with the county clerk.

12. Selecting Board Members • Ability to listen, analyze, think creatively and work one-on-one with people and in a group setting. • Willing to learn more about the board, prepare for and attend board and committee meetings, ask questions, take responsibility and follow through on assignments, contribute generous personal and financial resources depending on circumstances, open doors in the community and evaluate oneself as a board member. • Open to developing skills, such as cultivating and soliciting funds, recruiting additional board members and other volunteers and reading financial statements. • Possess honesty, sensitivity to and tolerance of differing views, a friendly, responsive and patient approach, community-building skills, a sense of values and a sense of humor, personal integrity and concern for the board's development.

13. Keeping Board Members Invested • Conduct CWB business in a professional, organized & timely manner. • Prepare new board members with an orientation by staff & existing board members. New board members should be given collateral materials about the organization’s current & recent activities, as well as any information that will be useful in their position. • Thank & recognize board members to sustain job satisfaction for volunteer board members. • Lead by example through good attendance & active participation in board meetings. This can be an effective way to deal with inactive board members. • Conduct exit interviews for board members who leave to learn more about their board experience. • Provide information/feedback on how CWB decisions/activities are helping children.

14. Promoting Leadership in CWBs • Recruit people who have a passion for your mission. • Connect members with the organization’s work through direct experience, conversations with program staff and compelling stories that illustrate the importance of the organization’s work. • State expectations of board members up front during the recruitment process. • Make time to talk together as a board about the culture that you want to create or perpetuate on the board, and how you can work together most productively. • Let potential board members know about the culture of the board up front. • Create rituals to celebrate achievements, recognize people who have made a contribution, and mark new moments in the organization’s history. • Address Regional and State level board activities/meetings. Have brief reports on activities of regional and state boards. Have members attend regional and state meetings when possible.

15. Partnering Agencies Giving Texas Children Promise and Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards have been partnering agencies since GTCP began. Many local CWBs also serve as the local board for GTCP. Some communities have separate boards but work together to be supportive in the common mission of serving abused and neglected children of Texas.

16. RAINBOW ROOMS: A Place for Hope and a New Start The Rainbow Room is an emergency resource center available to CPS caseworkers to help them meet the critical needs of abused and neglected children. Rainbow Rooms stock new items that go directly to children entering foster or relative care and children in their own homes who live below the poverty line.

17. Building Working Relationships with CPS • Make certain a CPS staff/liaison attends CWB meeting (Liaison to bring monthly report re: # children in foster care, kinship care, investigations). • Coordinate and attend special activities with CPS staff, i.e. Adoption Days, Heart Gallery, Go Blue Day, etc. • Gain a working knowledge of CPS policy and the Family Code that governs policy. • Understand CPS “language”

18. CPS Lingo Hello, I’m Cathy Smith, the CVS worker for Johnny Hurtmealot. CPS has PMC of Johnny, a 10 yo male whose MO and PP were found RTB for PHAB and SXAB. As the FP, we need you to attend an ARD meeting as the SP for the child who recently had an FIE where he was said to qualify as SI, OHI, and SLD. They will need to review his IEP's and request an FBA so they can develop a BIP.

19. CVS – ConservatorshipCPS – Child Protective ServicesPMC-Permanent Managing ConservatorshipMO- MotherPP – Parent’s paramourRTB- Reason to BelievePHAB-Physical AbuseSXAB-Sexual AbuseFP-Foster ParentSP-Surrogate ParentARD-Admission, Review & DismissalFIE-Full & Individual Initial EvaluationSI-Sensory IntegrationOHI-Other Health ImpairmentSLD-Specific Learning DisabilityIEP-Individual Education Program (Plan)FBA-Functional Behavior AssessmentBIP-Behavior Intervention Plan

20. Community Awareness Community Awareness events center around making the community aware of issues surrounding child abuse/neglect. CAEs are also good opportunities to educate the community about CWBs and to recruit for new members. • April – National Child Abuse Prevention Month • Go Blue Day in April • May – National Foster Care Month • Heart Gallery • November – National Adoption Day

21. Child Abuse Prevention • Support families and provide parents with the skills and resources they need. • Support providers who are serving families by providing tools and resources. • Create communities that have supportive services in place and a shared goal of safety and stability for families. • Publicize information on reporting laws and how to report suspected child abuse/neglect.

22. Fundraising Ideas • Promote TCCWB license plates!!! • Think outside the box!!! • Illusionist or magic show • Purse Auction (online or show) • Bunko tournament • No Go Gala • Men’s Style Show • Find fundraising ideas that relate to your mission or find ways to relate it to the mission (Go Blue promotional items, t-shirts, etc.). • Look to technology.

23. IMPORTANT RESOURCES: • TCCWB Resource Manual and Operations Manual on TCCWB website http://www.tccwb.org • OAG Open Meetings training https://www.oag.state.tx.us/open/index.shtml • Texas Adoption website http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default • It’s Up To You – Child Abuse Awareness website http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/itsuptoyou/default.asp • National Foster Care website http://www.fostercaremonth.org

24. Questions And Answers How can TCCWB support your local board?Contact: TCCWB Executive Director, Shannon Ireland, at sireland@tccwb.org or 512-484-8598