Community Development

Community Development

We bring together committed community partners to help foster children affected by abuse and neglect.

Every day, our team works with caregivers, child welfare professionals, CASA advocates, judges, attorneys and other community partners through the Rees-Jones Center’s Community Development Program. Our goal is the promotion of best practices that meet the unique health, education and recovery needs of foster children who may suffer from trauma due to abuse and neglect.

Family Advisory Council

At the Rees-Jones Center, we collaborate regularly with our Family Advisory Council (FAC). This board of volunteers – made up of caregivers, advocates and former foster youth – is focused on improving the experience our foster families have at the center. By sharing their insights and perspectives as caregivers and patients, FAC volunteers ensure that our families receive the highest quality of care possible.

For more information about the Rees-Jones Center’s FAC or to apply for membership, please email the center.

Parent Mentoring Program

The Rees-Jones Center’s Family Advisory Council has launched a Parent Mentoring Program to help new and existing foster and kinship families with the challenges and stresses that come with being involved with the child welfare system. We focus on connecting foster caregivers with other experienced foster caregivers who can:

  • Answer questions
  • Provide information on resources
  • Share experiences
  • Provide support, especially regarding caring for children with behavioral or medical needs

For more information about the Rees-Jones Center’s FAC Parent Mentoring Program, please email the center.

Educating the next generation

The Rees-Jones Center works closely with UT Southwestern and other organizations to educate and train medical and allied health students and health care providers and administrators on the complex needs of foster children who have experienced trauma.

Students interact with foster children, caregivers and clinic team members to learn how our patients’ needs are identified and addressed using trauma-informed practices. They also learn about preventive efforts they can take to address the root causes of abuse and neglect within their communities – now and in the future.

For more information about the Rees-Jones Center’s educational program, please email the center.

Region 3 Foster Care Consortium

Foster Care Consortium logo

The Region 3 Foster Care Consortium unites community advocates and agencies from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to improve the well-being of children in foster care. As a founding pillar of the consortium, the Rees-Jones Center helped lead and guide this effort. Today, we are continuing to work with community partners, ensuring that voices of the children and families involved in the child welfare system do not go unheard.

To apply for membership, please complete the consortium application. For more information, please email the consortium.

Get involved

How to become a foster parent:

Become a CASA advocate

Support the Rees-Jones Center by donating or volunteering.

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