Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

Description

Child Advocates recruits, trains, and manages adult volunteers to represent and work one-on-one with children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and become dependents of the court. Child Advocates is part National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) - there are over 900 CASA programs throughout the United States. Advocates meet with their advocate child once a week, spending one-on-one quality time with them and being a stable adult in their life. Advocates review records, research information, and talk to everyone involved - social workers, attorneys, teachers and caregivers. From this information, they present recommendations to the judge as to what is best for the child. It is all too easy for these children to become lost in an overburdened child welfare system, where no one has sufficient time to devote to the best interests of an individual child. Advocates can truly be a powerful voice in a child's life.