Voices for Children is seeking volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children in foster care in the Brazos Valley. “We want every child involved in the foster care system to have an advocate by their side while they go through such an uncertain time in their lives,” said Amy Faulkner, Executive Director of Voices for Children. “We need more volunteers from the community to serve these children and their families.”
CASA volunteers with Voices for Children are specially trained and appointed by judges to advocate for a child or sibling group while they are in the foster care system. Volunteers advocate for the child in court, school, and other settings; and help build a support network around the family that continues to be effective after a case closes.Since its founding in 2000, Voices for Children has served more than 2070 children. Last year, our volunteers documented 11,611 points of connection while advocating for children in foster care. These include contact with the child, the child’s caregiver, family members, and case-related meetings. Voices for Children volunteers spent more than 640 hours participating in court proceedings advocating on behalf of the children on their caseload. They spent more than 2,016 hours in direct face-to-face contact with the children.
Unfortunately, we were unable to serve 100% of the children involved with the foster care system in the Brazos Valley last year due to a lack of available volunteer advocates.
“CASA volunteers help reestablish healthy family connections,” said Amy Faulkner. “Imagine the possibilities if more of our community members stepped up to make a difference!”
Those interested in becoming a CASA Volunteer will need to attend an information session and complete a volunteer application. The next Pre-Service Training class begins on January 30, 2024. The application deadline to participate in the upcoming class is January 16, 2024. Visit www.vfcbrazos.org/become-a-casa to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
About Voices for Children
Voices for Children is driven by its mission to improve the lives of children in foster care through powerful volunteer advocacy until each child is placed in a safe and permanent home. Voices for Children is the local CASA program serving the BrazosValley (Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, and Madison counties). Our organization strives to recruit and train volunteer advocates to amplify the voices of children in the child welfare system. CASA programs are made of, and for, the local community. By giving financially, volunteering, or advocating for children involved in the child welfare system, everyone can help amplify the voices of children and ensure they are heard.
EVERY CHILD HAS A CHANCE - IT'S YOUⓇ
Courtesy of Nancy Browning, Development Director of Voices for Children
