Teresa Rafael, MSW

Executive Director

Teresa has been Executive Director of the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance since 2002. She began her career as a child welfare worker in Alabama. She later served as executive director of two state-wide organizations, both focused on strengthening families, preventing child abuse and neglect and the development and support of mutual support groups and other community-based resources for parents and children.

She was regional vice-president of Children’s Home Society of Washington, a large, multi-service statewide organization. There, she held responsibility for funding and managing programs such as residential treatment, adoption support, foster care, parent support groups, home visiting programs, counseling, family resource centers and parenting education and support programs. She was also responsible for the agency’s role as a site for the federal Comprehensive Child Development Project, the research project that led to development of the Early Head Start Program.

After serving for six years as vice-president of a national child abuse prevention organization, she worked as a consultant for numerous state and national organizations – all focused on strengthening families and communities. Throughout her career, she has worked in partnership with professional colleagues, policymakers and parent leaders.

She has volunteered in multiple ways from serving on boards to helping to lead development of new state-wide and community level organizations. She holds undergraduate degrees in social work and sociology, completed one year of independent study at Stanford University and earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington.

Teresa’s greatest joy is her daughter and four grandchildren.