Voices For Children Foundation, Inc.

Results: Voices For Children and the Guardian ad Litem Program have a 37+ year track record of being leaders within the child welfare system. While many organizations address the needs of youth in foster care, we differ in two critical ways. First, the GAL Program is court-appointed and a full legal party to the case. From their first encounter at the shelter hearing to the final Permanency hearing, the GAL Program is present. Second, our vision for change for our children hinges on our collective efforts to minimize each child’s trauma while in foster care by focusing on each child holistically and eliminating their specific barriers to positive child outcomes. This approach requires collective collaboration based on the youths’ best interests and expressed wishes when age-appropriate and connection to educational, social, and financial resources. With over 100 Voices/GAL Program Employees, 480 active community volunteers, and thousands of youth served each year, the collective knowledge and life/professional experiences have allowed us to effectively address the challenges faced by this most vulnerable population. Additionally, since 2014, we have employed former foster youth who provide firsthand insight into what works best for youth.

Programs: Voices/GAL Program’s vision is to minimize the negative impact of foster care and ensure each child achieves maximum success by treating them individually and holistically. The GAL Program mission is “to advocate for the best interests of the children who are abused, abandoned or neglected and who are involved in court proceedings”. Voices’ mission is “to raise funds to ensure that every abused and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their health, educational and social needs”. Main programs include GAL advocacy through advocates and attorneys and multiple support personnel; GAL volunteer recruitment; and Voices’ direct financial assistance for essentials (food, clothing, rent), social enrichments (normalcy), and educational needs.