Volunteer Child Advocates Needed

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The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is looking for volunteer Child Advocates. We are in need of bilingual, Spanish speaking, volunteers in the McAllen, Edinburg, Brownsville, Harlingen, and Corpus Christi, TX and surrounding areas.

Make a difference in the life of an unaccompanied immigrant child by volunteering to serve as a Child Advocate. A Child Advocate is an adult who volunteers to spend time with and advocate on behalf of an individual unaccompanied immigrant child while he or she is subject to deportation proceedings. We get to know prospective volunteers through an initial screening interview, an application and reference check, and at the required two-day training. Once assigned to an individual child, each Child Advocate receives continuing training, support, and supervision from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.

As a Child Advocate, you commit to:

• Visit with the child once a week (1hr) during the duration of their shelter/facility stay.
• Help the child think through options and decisions.
• Maintain close communication with Young Center staff and the child’s Case Manager at the shelter to schedule visits.
• Build organic relationships with the child through child-led activities.
• Advocate for the best interest of the child.

Volunteer Requirements:

- Must be 21 yrs +

- Be bilingual, preferably in Spanish

- Be able to commit to weekly visits, as needed for on average 3 months.

- Be able to submit & pass state and federal background checks

- Vaccinated against COVID-19 (for in-person visits)

We will be having a 2-day trainings volunteers can attend:

Saturday October 26th & Sunday October 27th from 9am-3:30pm

If you would like to learn more about the Young Center's work and the volunteer Child Advocate role visit https://www.theyoungcenter.org/volunteer-at-the-young-center or email LMurray@theyoungcenter.org