Voices for Children

This morning, as on every Halloween 🎃, Voice for Children team members served breakfast🥯☕🌯 for all Meadow Lark Courthouse staff in appreciation of their dedication to children living in foster care in San Diego County. Thank you for all you do, whether it's welcoming a new CASA or helping us make the courtroom less scary for children in foster care — we are grateful for your expertise, collaboration, and hard work every day.

We wish everyone a safe, fun, and memorable Halloween! 🎃👻🍬

Congratulations to our Riverside County CASA of the Month, Jennifer O.! 🥳 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers help build a child’s confidence by providing a stable presence, consistent support, and genuine care. This support is critical, especially when a child transitions into a teenager.

When CASA Jenn met 12-year-old Natalie*, the two spent time together going on fun outings and talking about clothes👗, makeup💄, and food😋, allowing Natalie a safe space to share anything with CASA Jenn. Recently, Natalie moved to her eighth placement right before starting a new school year. After two years of being encouraged and motivated to do well in school by CASA Jenn, Natalie wanted to start the school year feeling confident in herself. When Natalie expressed her desire to have her hair braided, CASA Jenn stepped up when it proved challenging to make this a reality.

Learn more about how CASA Jenn's determination ensured Natalie started her first day at a new school feeling confident and beautiful 👉https://buff.ly/48tSyVN

Congratulations to our San Diego County CASA of the Month, Victoria “Vicky” S. 🎉As a newly sworn-in CASA, Vicky was eager to advocate for Leo*, a baby boy only a few months old. CASA Vicky’s immediate rapport-building with Leo’s social worker, caregiver, and mother, coupled with her interactions with Leo, have played a crucial role in putting everyone at ease and encouraging them to see her as someone invested in Leo’s success. Today, Leo, a 1-year-old brown-eyed baby boy with a big smile, has started to take his first steps.

Learn more about CASA Vicky's journey with Leo 👉https://buff.ly/3AjrFqP

Voices for Children hosted nearly 500 guests for a spectacular Starry Starry Night at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Emceed by CBS 8’s Neda Iranpour, guests were treated to an exquisite dining experience, inspirational stories from our CASA program, the first-ever CASA Lifetime Achievement award presentation, an exhilarating live auction, and more.

We recognized the exceptional contributions of our founder and longest-serving CASA volunteer, Kathryn Ashworth, Esq., whose vision has supported more than 100,000 youth across San Diego and Riverside Counties. We also had the honor of presenting the inspiring story of former foster youth Anthony O’Leary, who shared the transformative impact CASA Danny had in his life.

With generous commitments from supporters, we raised more than $1.5 million to continue providing critical advocacy to children in our community.

The funds raised at Starry Starry Night will allow us to provide CASA volunteers to 600 abused, neglected, and abandoned children in foster care, helping ensure their voices are heard and needs are met. Your participation made this event a resounding success!

Join us for a heartening Real Word Speakers Panel, comprised of resilient young adults who share their personal journeys, shedding light on the challenges they faced within the dependency system and the profound impact of having a supportive Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) by their side.

As we approach the holiday season, this panel will focus on gratitude✨ Our featured speakers, Anthony, Josh, and Vanessa, will share thought-provoking stories about the invaluable advocacy their CASAs provided and the moments when they were extremely grateful for the presence of their CASA.

Learn more and RSVP today 👉https://buff.ly/3zz8HpJ

Meet Emi! ✨She goes to school with Will and Noah and wanted to join them in their efforts to support this year's Voices for Children Holiday Party by helping to provide stuffed animals🧸 and books📚 to about 200 youth in foster care. For her recent 11th birthday, she had a party with the theme of ‘wellness and gratitude.' As part of this, she asked guests to donate new stuffed animals and gift cards to Voices for Children.

Thank you, Emi 💙 You are a fantastic example of how one act of kindness inspires others to be kind and creates a ripple effect. Your thoughtful gesture to celebrate your birthday by giving back makes a difference for children in foster care.

We are so grateful to brothers Will and Noah, two boys spearheading a donation campaign for this year's Voices for Children Holiday Party!

Will was drawn to our billboard on La Jolla Boulevard and decided to take action by volunteering with his brother Noah to collect donations for stuffed animals🧸 and books📚 that will be given to about 200 youth in foster care this December.

In a month, they have already collected about 50 stuffed animals and 50 books. The brothers’ next fundraising endeavor is a bake sale 🍪🧁 set for 9-11 a.m. this Saturday, October 12, at Bird Rock’s Calumet Park. If you are in the area, we strongly encourage you to stop by for some treats! Your support for Will and Noah's fundraising efforts will make a difference for children in foster care.

Learn more about Will and Noah's mission to promote empathy and give to their community 👉https://buff.ly/403wDCz

Today, Voice for Children celebrates Native American Day, a time to honor and celebrate the rich cultural tapestry, traditions, and contributions of Native communities, including the 110+ federally recognized tribes in California.

Native American children represent a disproportionate number of children in foster care. We are deeply committed to serving local Native American children by providing them with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) who can address their unique needs and support the Tribal Courts. Voices for Children is grateful to our tribal partners who collaborate with us to improve the lives of children in foster care.

Congratulations to our Riverside County CASA of the Month, Julie C.! 🎉When a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is sworn in and appointed by a judge, many can have the looming question, “Will I find a way to connect with my youth?” when assigned to advocate for teenagers. At this age, many youth in foster care have been let down by every adult in their lives, and they have built up walls as a defensive mechanism to protect themselves. At first, youth might not engage or even talk with their CASA, but time and time again, we see how our CASA volunteers bring those walls down simply by showing up and proving to them that they are here to stay.

This is what CASA Julie has done for 15-year-old Dakota* and 17-year-old Nina*. Learn more about their journey 👉https://buff.ly/3XO1oca

Congratulations to our San Diego County CASA of the Month, Margaret "Peggy" E.! 🥳 Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers serve as a consistent presence when children experience turbulent placement changes, helping to prevent learning loss and advocating for essential resources through all the ups and downs. This is precisely what CASA Margaret “Peggy" has done and continues to do as a devoted CASA for Joy* and Jeremiah*.

Learn more about CASA Peggy's five-year journey with her case youth 👉https://buff.ly/4gzv70V

Voices for Children is thrilled to share that our President & CEO, Jessica Muñoz, will be speaking at the 2024 AlphaCore Wealth Advisory Summit for this year's Charitable Solutions panel!

We are grateful to AlphaCore for highlighting Voices for Children as an impactful charity and showcasing the tremendous work we are doing to further our mission to transform the lives of children in foster care by providing them with trained, volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) who speak up for their needs and well-being.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Voices for Children celebrates the history, traditions, and achievements of Hispanic communities and the changemakers leading the way for the next generation✨

We are especially grateful for our Hispanic and Latino Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers and recognize their ongoing commitment to effectively serving Spanish-speaking children in foster care. These youth deserve to have a sense of belonging and feel seen, heard, and appreciated exactly for who they are. Being Spanish-speaking in this role can drastically impact practical outcomes when it comes to connecting with and supporting Hispanic youth and their families in San Diego and Riverside Counties.

To serve ALL children who need a CASA, we have to be able to serve the whole community. If you speak Spanish and would like to advocate for Spanish-speaking children and families impacted by the child welfare system, we invite you to attend an information session and learn more about how you can help your community 👉https://buff.ly/3oIVdZd

Grab your favorite drink at 📌13322 Limonite Ave in Eastvale or 📌3561 Hamner Ave in Norco and help Voices for Children on Friday, September 20! Dutch Bros Coffee☕will donate $1 from every drink sold to Voices for Children and support our mission to provide every child in foster care with the transformative advocacy of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer!



Voices for Children Riverside County

There’s still time ⏰ to make a difference for San Diego Gives! Currently, 41 boys in San Diego County are waiting for an advocate to be there for them, with more entering foster care daily. We hope you will consider making a generous gift✨ to support boys in foster care who need a CASA during challenging times in their childhood 👉https://buff.ly/3YYtpQi

Now more than ever, children who have experienced abuse or neglect need a caring Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) by their side. Often, children in foster care, particularly young boys, do not have a reliable male figure or positive male role model in their lives. Today, the number of male CASA volunteers is disproportionately low; in fact, in San Diego County alone, approximately 50% of children in foster care are boys, but only 15% of advocates are male. Nonetheless, it’s essential to provide young boys in foster care the opportunity to lean on and learn from stable male role models.

Voices for Children invites you to be part of San Diego Gives and support our CASA volunteers who provide life-changing advocacy for siblings living in foster care 👉https://buff.ly/3YYtpQi.

When CASA Nancy met Luke and Hannah, they were living in separate homes, but she could see that it was vital that they see each other and maintain their sibling bond. She went above and beyond to ensure they spent time together doing things they liked while getting to know them individually and understanding their different needs.

As CASA Nancy got to know Luke and Hannah and their family connections, she learned they both dearly loved their grandmother, Bonnie. Luke and Hannah expressed to CASA Nancy that they wished to live with her and maintain close family ties with someone who had always cared for them. After some time and through many conversations with their attorneys, social workers, and Bonnie, CASA Nancy recommended to the court that Bonnie become Luke and Hannah's permanent guardian.

With CASA Nancy's support and advocacy, Luke and Hannah are in a loving home with their grandma Bonnie and remain closer than ever as they start a new chapter. We hope you will consider making a generous gift to support CASAs like Nancy, who knows the importance of keeping siblings in foster care together and advocates to ensure they maintain their bond.

We invite YOU — our all-star supporter — to join us TODAY, on San Diego Gives, to support Jayden, who is living in San Diego foster care 👉https://buff.ly/3YYtpQi.

When CASA Jennifer first met 9-year-old Jayden, she discovered he loved playing soccer ⚽and was part of a soccer team. When CASA Jennifer showed up to Jayden’s soccer game for the first time, he looked up and made eye contact with her, gave her a huge smile, and scored several goals during that game. Week after week, CASA Jennifer shows up to Jayden’s games, and every time, CASA Jennifer notices how happy he is to see her cheer him on.

This spring, CASA Jennifer learned that Jayden would be moving to a new placement. When Jayden expressed how much he wanted to stay at his current school to finish his school year since he had never completed an entire school year at one school, CASA Jennifer knew she had to make this a reality for him. CASA Jennifer brought Jayden’s attorney, social worker, current caregiver, and potential new caregiver together to advocate for him to remain at his school. After many conversations, it was agreed that Jayden would not move to a new school. He finished the school year with his friends for the first time, a milestone made possible by CASA Jennifer’s unwavering dedication to him.

We hope you will consider making a generous gift✨ to support CASA Jennifer as she continues to advocate for Jayden and help him through a challenging and uncertain time during his childhood.

Leading child rights lawyer and former foster child, Andrew Bridge, recounts his role in the most bitterly fought mental health lawsuit in American history in his new book📕, The Child Catcher, a powerful story that does more than inspire — it ignites action and change.

As a CASA champion✨, he is supporting CASA programs throughout California and nationwide during the pre-sale period for his new book. Now through September 20th, Andrew is offering a 20% discount on copies of The Child Catcher, and he is generously donating half of his pre-sale royalties to the CASA organization of the buyer’s choice. Order your copy of The Child Catcher and support Voices for Children today 👉 https://buff.ly/46CEEzx

Happy Labor Day! Today, we acknowledge the dedicated volunteer service of our CASAs and thank them for all their work in transforming the lives of children in foster care. Voices for Children is grateful for all the little and big things you do that positively impact the youth you serve.

Congratulations to our Riverside County CASA of the Month, Dr. Keri O.! 🎉While many are inspired by the difference a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer can make, some might put off committing to this role because it can seem intimidating to balance a full-time job and volunteering. This is a misnomer as it’s a very doable role for a community member who works full-time — only taking 10 hrs. a month to serve as an advocate. The desire and willingness to be of service to a child in need is the most important thing, and that is what drove Dr. Keri O., a CEO, co-founder of an HR consulting firm, author, and podcast co-host, to become a CASA.✨

Learn more about CASA Keri's four-year journey with her youth, Brenda* 👉https://buff.ly/4cTnQ9i, and be inspired by her transformation from a shy and soft-spoken girl to a determined and assertive young woman.