Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers are needed to speak up for Coachella Valley children in the foster care system in court, school, medical settings, and more to ensure their needs are met.
– Voices for Children, the nonprofit organization that provides youth in foster care with volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), today put out an urgent call for volunteers in the Coachella Valley. 11 local children in foster care are currently on Voices for Children’s wait list, hoping to be matched with a CASA volunteer–and the organization receives new referrals almost daily.
CASA volunteers advocate for youth in court, school, medical settings, and more to ensure their needs are met. Since 2015, Voices for Children has served thousands of Riverside County children in foster care with CASAs, with 730 youth served in the last fiscal year alone.
“If you are looking for a way to make an immediate impact and give back to your community right now, I cannot think of a better way to do so than by becoming a CASA volunteer,” said Voices for Children’s President & CEO Jessica Muñoz, Esq., MFS. “Our incredible volunteers have made a major difference for local children right here in our community, just by showing up as they are, listening to them, and being a consistent adult presence in their lives.”
This year, more than 6,000 children in Riverside County are expected to spend time in foster care. CASAs are vital sources of support for these children, who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Many feel very much alone, until they meet their CASA. A CASA often becomes the most consistent adult in a child’s life, providing stability in a complicated system.
CASAs step in to fill this gap, offering one-on-one advocacy, monitoring the child’s circumstances, and making recommendations that help shape their future. CASA volunteers devote their attention to one child or a sibling group at a time, advocating for them in court reports to ensure that any legal decisions meet the child’s needs.
“Becoming a CASA volunteer was a great decision,” said Palm Springs resident and CASA volunteer Dana Torrey. “I was looking for a meaningful activity for my retirement and this was a perfect fit. You don’t have to have any previous experience with the legal system, or even working with children. I find it so easy to spend at least 10 hours per month meeting with my case child, getting to know them, taking them on fun activities, attending meetings on their behalf, and filling out court reports that help judges make the best choices for their future. I urge anyone in the Coachella Valley who is looking for a volunteer opportunity to sign up for one of the volunteer information sessions.”
To learn more about the valuable work of CASA volunteers and how you can get involved, please visit speakupnow.org.
To find the next CASA volunteer information session near you, please be sure to select “Riverside County” after visiting this link: https://www.speakupnow.org/volunteer/volunteer-information-session/
If you would like to book a speaker from Voices for Children for your organization or event in Riverside County, please email RCVolunteer@speakupnow.org or call 951-391-8873.
ABOUT VOICES FOR CHILDREN
Founded in 1980, Voices for Children (VFC) transforms the lives of abused, neglected, and abandoned children in foster care in San Diego and Riverside Counties by providing them with trained, volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). CASA volunteers advocate for a child or sibling group in foster care in court, school, and the community to ensure their needs are met. VFC believes every child deserves a safe and permanent home and strives to provide a CASA volunteer to every child in the foster care system who needs one. Last year, VFC CASAs and staff provided direct advocacy to more than 2,300 youth in foster care across San Diego and Riverside Counties as well as case monitoring services to hundreds of other children in foster care who might need an advocate in the future. For more information, visit speakupnow.org.
