Child Advocates - CASA of Silicon Valley

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley trains and supports volunteers to speak and act as advocates for the best interest of foster children and youth. Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BeMyAdvocate YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bemyadvocate Instagram: http://instagram.com/bemyadvocate You can make a difference in a child’s life. Children end up in the foster care system through no fault of their own: They might have experienced abuse or neglect; either or both parents might abuse drugs or alcohol, or have left home and abandoned the children. These children are often moved from foster home to foster home. They may not have anyone in their lives who is there just for them. By spending time with a child and getting to know him or her, you can become not only a role model and mentor, but also a trusted friend. You can make a huge impact on the child’s future: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) attend dependency court hearings and provide reports and recommendations to the judge when life-changing decisions are being made. Children with Advocates are in the system, receive more services and are less likely to reenter the system. Four out of five recommendations made by volunteer Advocates are accepted by judges—who may have up to 900 cases and not a lot of time to get to know the details of each one. There are 1,300 children in the Santa Clara County foster care system, and close to 200 children and youth on our waitlist who are in need of an advocate. Speak up for a foster child. For more information, visit: http://www.bemyadvocate.org