Child Advocates
Tracy Ratcliff is an experienced professional in the field of advocacy and protective services, currently serving as an Advocacy Coordinator at Child Advocates since December 2022. In this role, Tracy focuses on providing advocacy and support to children and youth in the care of Child Protective Services, collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure appropriate service delivery. Prior to this position, Tracy worked at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for six years, first as an Adult Protection Specialist, investigating cases of abuse and neglect among vulnerable adults, and later as a Conservatorship Specialist, managing cases of children placed in care. Earlier experience includes serving as an Account Manager at Genesis Merchant Services, where Tracy supported merchants with inquiries related to account management and billing.
Child Advocates
Child Advocates mobilizes advocate volunteers to break the vicious cycle of child abuse. We speak up for abused children who are lost in the system and guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. A judge appoints Child Advocates to represent the best interests of a child or sibling group in foster care. They serve as the judge’s eyes and ears while the children are in custody, ensuring their unique needs are met until they can safely return home or are permanently placed with a loving relative or adoptive family. Unlike Child Protective Services caseworkers and court-appointed attorneys who juggle overwhelming caseloads, our volunteers represent just one child or sibling group at a time. Their advocacy makes sure no child falls through the cracks of our overburdened child welfare system. Child Advocates volunteers make a profound difference in the lives of the children they serve. Studies show children served by an advocate volunteer are better able to work with others and control deviant behavior than children without an advocate. Also, more parents of these children complete counseling services, psychiatric evaluations, and drug and alcohol counseling than those without an advocate. With Child Advocates’ help, we can break the cycle of child abuse and give more foster children a chance at a better, brighter future.