Book by Steve Pemberton

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Steve Pemberton found a lighthouse in an ordinary man named John Sykes, his former high school counselor. John gave Steve a safe harbor after Steve escaped an abusive foster home and together they navigated a new path that led to personal and professional success. 

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In this stirring follow-up to his memoir, Steve Pemberton gives practical encouragement for how you can be a "human lighthouse" for others and through these inspiring stories will renew your hope for humanity.

Operation Hope's mission: "Our focus is financial dignity and inclusion. We equip young people and adults with the financial tools and education to secure a better future—coaching them through their personal aspirations and life’s challenges, and facilitating their journey to financial independence."

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Materials from inservice:

• Basics of Budgeting powerpoint

• Get Smart about Banking powerpoint

• Kids Workbook

• Young Adults Workbook

Merit Lajoie with the Office of the Victim Advocate (OVA) provided this training for CAC via Zoom on 9/23. Among its many responsibilities, the OVA provides oversight of state and private agencies, and advocacy for crime victims when a violation of their rights is at issue. Ms. Lajoie gave an overview of the responsibilities encompassed in the OVA as well as victims’ rights in cases involving domestic partner abuse and identity theft.

The mission at the Office of the Child Advocate is to ensure that publicly-funded services for children meet the needs of all vulnerable children, and that these systems, our systems, are effective and accountable to the citizens and families of Connecticut. 

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While much of the fiscal year the OCA continued individual and systemic investigations on behalf of children, as the
public health emergency of COVID-19 engulfed the state, OCA’s work shifted to identifying and responding to the unmet needs of those who are most vulnerable in the midst of the pandemic driven shut-down.

"Over the past decade, Bridgeport’s youth and families have faced many challenges and achieved many successes: a story of both struggle and hope. As we reflect on the past ten years, we must take time to learn from what has worked and consistently iterate for increased impact to benefit Bridgeport children. On this note, we are happy to report that in July 2019, the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) joined the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP). This collaboration adds strength-to-strength and gives us the opportunity to align advocacy, capacity-building and direct services to lift up our young people."

The Mercury News Article

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Story about a trained volunteer with the nonprofit organization Child Advocates of Silicon Valley who was appointed by the Juvenile Court to a build a relationship with a foster child and advocate for the child's best interests in court. 

NY Times Opinion​ by Tina Rosenberg

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Many Americans travel to Latin America to help in orphanages, but their presence often only compounds the misery of unnecessarily institutionalizing children. Decades of research shows that institutions — even the best — harm children, who simply do better in every way in a family. What could caring people support that actually helps vulnerable children in poor countries? The same strategies that wealthy countries use: family reunification and foster care.

NY Times Magazine article by Dan Hurley

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Child protective agencies are haunted when they fail to save kids. Pittsburgh officials believe a new data analysis program is helping them make better judgment calls.

Children without permanent housing have so many questions:

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• Do I have to change schools every time I move?

• Can I register for school without a parent?

• Can DCF help me?

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This brochure from the Center for Children's Advocacy can help provide answers to these types of questions.