Center for Family and Community Engagement

Jul 1, 2019

Center Spotlight: Megan Fletcher

Meet, Megan! Megan is one of our fabulous Communication Specialists here at the Center for Family and Community Engagement (CFACE). She started working with CFACE in the fall of 2018, and was the primary communication specialist for the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (FFA-NC). Her main focus, both for FFA-NC and CFACE, has been… 

May 20, 2019

Center Spotlight: Raisa Mathies

Meet Raisa Mathies! Raisa is the Center for Family and Community Engagement’s Masters of Social Work Intern. She is currently earning her Masters of Social Work degree from North Carolina State University and has worked for the Center since August 2018. She is an incredible asset to our organization and deserves some recognition! Raisa’s primary… 

Apr 26, 2019

The Networking Alliance: A Look Inside Our Organization

The Networking Alliance is the Center for Family and Community Engagement’s advisory council. Members of this council are appointed by the Center director and serve two-year terms. Members are from family and youth groups, community organizations, public agencies, and universities. The Networking Alliance provides guidance to the Center based on their knowledge, experience, and ethical… 

Apr 15, 2019

CFFACE Spotlight: What has Dr. Joan Pennell been up to since retirement?

Dr. Joan Pennell became the founding director of the Center for Family and Community Engagement (CFFACE) in 2008, and served in this capacity until her retirement in 2018. She is currently a Professor Emerita of Social Work at North Carolina State University. Although retired, Dr. Pennell has maintained an active role with CFFACE through her… 

Mar 20, 2019

Cumberland County SOAR is a strong example of a North Carolina Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Planning (CBCAPP) model making an impact

SOAR, which stands for Strengths in Overcoming Adversity thru Resiliency, is a committee comprised of over 40 major county agency stakeholders, dedicated family members, professionals, and community partners who have been working together for over 5 years to come together to reduce child maltreatment in their county. In 2016, PCANC (Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina)… 

Mar 6, 2019

CFFACE Director Creates Primer for Judges, Prosecutors, and Defense Attorneys

The Center for Family and Community Engagement would like to acknowledge our wonderful director, Dr. Sarah Desmarais, for her work with the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety+Justice Challenge. Dr. Desmarais and Dr. Evan M. Lowder have assembled a primer for judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. The primer’s focus is on the use of risk assessment instruments in… 

Mar 1, 2019

CFFACE is Featured in Latest Practice Notes Newsletter

The Center for Family and Community Engagement (CFFACE) is excited to share the latest issue of Children’s Services Practice Notes, which features an article of our work on the North Carolina Child Welfare Family Leadership Model. Practice Notes is a newsletter sponsored by the North Carolina Division of Social Services and is produced by the… 

Feb 22, 2019

Upcoming Event: 2019 Learning & Leadership Summit

Join us at Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina’s (PCANC) 2019 Learning & Leadership Summit! The Center for Family and Community Engagement will presenting, attending workshops as well as hosting our own table, so be sure to stop by!   If you want to find out more about what Kara Allen-Eckard and her team have been working… 

Feb 19, 2019

CFFACE Spotlight: Claudia’s Voice Reaches National and Local Audiences

The Center for Family and Community Engagement would like to take some time to recognize, appreciate, and highlight one of its senior staff members, Claudia Kearney. Claudia has become a sought after speaker and trainer on topics such as Diversity, Cultural Awareness, and Domestic Violence. She has presented numerous times over the past 10 years… 

Dec 18, 2018

Dr. Sarah Desmarais discusses the value of pre-trial risk assessment tools

Our Center Director, Dr. Sarah L. Desmarais, appeared on the Abolishing Money Bail panel at the Race + Justice San Francisco event put on by The Atlantic Live last week. During the panel, Dr. Desmarais talks about the value of pre-trial risk assessment tools in reducing bias in human decision-making. You can see the recording…