Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County

10/08/2026

Week 6- MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MISSION. 💙
Buildings don't help children.
People do.
For 30 years, compassionate and dedicated professionals have walked through our doors ready to listen, advocate, support, and serve.
Our staff members often meet families on some of the hardest days of their lives. They bring professionalism, compassion, patience, and heart to that responsibility every single day. We are very proud of our staff’s dedication to their jobs and the children and families we serve. Our current staff has a combined 98 years of service at the Center and 176 years of social service experience.
During our 30th anniversary, we're especially proud to celebrate the people who make our mission possible.
To our current staff—and everyone who has served here during the past three decades:
Thank you for making this more than a workplace. You made it a place of hope.

Over the next week we will highlight our current staff and their history with the Advocacy Center, in their own words.

10/01/2026

Week 5- 30 YEARS. THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN. ONE MISSION. 💙

Behind every number is a child.

Behind every child is a story.

And behind every story is a community that chose to stand with them.

Over the past 30 years, the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County has had the privilege of serving thousands of children and families.

In the last 30 years, highly trained forensic interviewers have conducted 11,275 forensic interviews with children. That is over 11 thousand children who lived here in Galveston County. They are our children.

But our impact isn't measured only in numbers.

It's measured in children who were given a safe place to talk.

Families who found support during some of their most difficult days.

Professionals who came together around a child.

And children who discovered that what happened to them does not have to define their future.

That's what 30 years of child advocacy looks like.

09/25/2026

THEN & NOW

A lot can change in 30 years.

Buildings change. Technology changes. Programs grow. Teams expand.

But one thing hasn't changed: Our commitment to children.

For 30 years, the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County has continued to evolve to meet the needs of children and families while remaining committed to providing a child-focused, coordinated response to abuse.

We're proud of where we started.

We're grateful for where we are.

And we're excited about where we're going.

💙 30 Years of Hope, Healing & Justice.

09/17/2026

💙 A VISION BECOMES A LEGACY.

Thirty years ago, a group of dedicated community leaders believed there had to be a better way to respond when a child experienced abuse.

Their vision became the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County.

They didn't simply establish an organization. They created something much more:

A place where children could be heard.
A place where families could find support.
A place where agencies could work together.
A place where hope and healing could begin.

As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we proudly recognize our Founding Members, whose vision, courage, and commitment laid the foundation for the work we continue today:

Trudy Deen Davis
Capt. Shari Burrows, FWPD
Betty Connor
Chief Barry Cook, SFPD
Susan Criss
Mike Guarino
Dr. Sharon Hall
Sgt. Joe Howell, GCSO
Vicki Lewis
Suzanne Schwab Radcliffe
Sandra Sullivan

To our founders, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude. What you began 30 years ago has become a lasting legacy of collaboration, compassion, and hope for children and families throughout Galveston County.

💙 Thank you for believing our children deserved better—and for having the vision to make better possible.

09/16/2026

Great time in Texas City at the Valero Refinery for the United Way Giving Campaign kickoff!

💛 United for our community!

We were grateful to join Valero Texas City Refinery for their United Way Campaign Kickoff last week alongside several of our incredible partner agencies!

A huge thank you to Valero and their employees for their continued support of UWGCM and the organizations working every day to serve our community. Their generosity and commitment help strengthen the network of services available to individuals and families throughout Galveston County.

We were proud to be joined by Big Brothers Big Sisters Gulf Coast, CASA of Galveston County, M. I. Lewis Social Service Center, NAMI Gulf Coast - TX, Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County, St. Vincent's House, and The Salvation Army Galveston County.

We are excited to see the impact Valero and their employees will make through this year's campaign!

09/09/2026

EVERY MISSION HAS A BEGINNING. 💙

Thirty years ago, community leaders in Galveston County shared a vision: children experiencing abuse deserved something better—a response centered on the needs of the child.

From that vision grew the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County.

What began as an idea has become three decades of collaboration, advocacy, support, and healing for children and families throughout our community.

As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we're looking back at where we started, honoring those who helped build the way, and celebrating just how far we've come.

The Children's Advocacy Center movement began in Huntsville, Alabama, with a simple but powerful idea: instead of requiring a child to navigate multiple agencies and repeatedly tell their story, professionals could work together with the child's needs at the center of the response.

Galveston County was on the leading edge of that movement, opening the 18th Children's Advocacy Center in Texas.

Today, Texas has 71 Children's Advocacy Centers—more than any other state—and 97.6% of Texans live in a county officially served by a local Children's Advocacy Center.

Over the past three decades, this model has helped transform the way our state responds to child abuse—bringing law enforcement, child protection, prosecutors, medical professionals, mental health providers, and advocates together with one shared priority:

The safety, healing, and well-being of children. 💙

Here's to the vision that started it all—and to everyone who has helped carry that vision forward for 30 years.

30 YEARS. One Mission.

Pictured are Trudy Deen Davis, Founding Executive Director (Top, left), Laura Bush, then first Lady of Texas (Center, front) and members of the Board and committees of the Advocacy Center at the first Center location at 23rd and Avenue K in Galveston, approx. 1997.

09/02/2026

💙WE'RE CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!

This year, the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County proudly celebrates 30 years of serving children and families in our community.

For three decades, our mission has remained focused on one thing: creating a coordinated, compassionate response for children who have experienced abuse and helping them begin their journey toward healing.

Over the next 12 weeks, we'll share pieces of our history, recognize the people who made this work possible, celebrate our community partnerships, and look toward the future.

Thank you, Galveston County, for standing beside us for 30 years.

💙 30 Years of Hope. 30 Years of Healing. 30 Years of Justice.

08/06/2026

The beginning of a new school year is exciting, but it can also bring stress and anxiety for both children and parents. A few intentional habits can help set everyone up for a successful year!

Tips for Parents:
• Re-establish routines early. Begin bedtime and morning routines at least one week before school
starts.
• Stay positive. Your attitude about school influences your child's outlook.
• Talk about expectations for behavior, homework, friendships, and responsibilities.
• Create a quiet, organized homework space.
• Limit screen time and encourage reading and family conversations.
• Practice independence by having children pack backpacks and choose clothes.
• Know the school community and important dates.
• Communicate with teachers about concerns or changes at home.
• Watch for signs of anxiety or emotional stress.
• Celebrate effort, kindness, responsibility, and improvement—not just grades.

Tips for Children:
• Get plenty of sleep each night.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Pack your backpack the night before.
• Arrive at school on time.
• Be kind and include others.
• Ask questions when you need help.
• Try your best—you don't have to be perfect.
• Stay organized with homework and assignments.
• Tell a trusted adult if you feel unsafe or are being bullied.
• Have fun, learn, and make new friends.

Tips for Families:
• Eat dinner together whenever possible.
• Ask open-ended questions about the school day.
• Read together, even with older children.
• Keep a family calendar for school events.
• Make time for relaxation and family fun.

Helping Children Manage First-Day Jitters:
• Remind children that many classmates feel nervous too.
• Teachers are there to help them succeed.
• It's okay if everything doesn't feel comfortable on the first day.
• Making friends takes time.
• Every school year is a chance to learn and grow.

Make it a great year!

04/27/2026

As our founding director, Trudy Deen Davis helped build this organization from the ground up with a vision of hope, healing, and justice for children. Through the years, she has remained a passionate champion for our mission, and together she and her husband Gary continue to invest in the children and families we serve.

Their generous sponsorship of this year’s fundraiser—and their steadfast belief in our work—helped make the event a success. We are deeply grateful for their leadership, compassion, and enduring legacy of support.

Please join us in thanking Gary R. and Trudy Deen Davis for helping create brighter futures for children in Galveston County.

Pictured here at our Circus for a Cause with their grandson, Nolan Deen Davis!

04/27/2026

Thank You for Making Circus for a Cause a Success! 🎪❤️

Our hearts are full of gratitude after an incredible Circus for a Cause fundraiser this past Saturday, April 25th. Because of the generosity of our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and everyone who attended, the day was a wonderful success in support of the children and families served by the Advocacy Center for Children of Galveston County.

To our amazing sponsors — thank you for believing in our mission and helping make this event possible.

To everyone who joined us, bid, donated, laughed, celebrated, and supported the cause — thank you for showing up in such a meaningful way.

To our volunteers, staff, and event supporters who worked behind the scenes — your dedication brought the magic to life.

Together, you helped create more than a memorable event — you are helping provide safety, justice and healing for children in our community.

We are deeply grateful for your support and for standing with us in protecting children and strengthening families.

🎪 Thank you for making Circus for a Cause truly extraordinary. We couldn’t do this without you!