Voices for Children advocates for Riverside County kids in foster care

By Rebecca K. O’Connor for The Press-Enterprise

Voices for Children volunteers remain a steady support system for children during challenging times.

At the heart of the mission of Voices for Children are volunteers who give 10 to 15 hours a month of their time to serve as a court-appointed special advocate for a child. Volunteer advocates look out for children in the foster care system and are appointed by a judge. Each volunteer gets to know and spends quality time with the child with whom they are matched.

The advocates report to the court and provide real-time updates to social workers. They also make recommendations that assist with important decisions affecting the child’s life, such as their educational needs. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates were not able to meet with children in person, but found meaningful ways to stay in contact.

Read more in The Press-Enterprise