OREGON CASA NETWORK Competitors

Children’s Law Center fights so every child in DC can grow up with a stable family, good health and a quality education. Judges, pediatricians and families turn to us to advocate for children who are abused or neglected, who aren’t learning in school, or who have health problems that can’t be solved by medicine alone. With 100 staff and hundreds of pro bono lawyers, we reach 1 out of every 9 children in DC’s poorest neighborhoods – more than 5,000 children and families each year. And, we multiply this impact by advocating for city-wide solutions that benefit all children.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights is a nonprofit legal services organization that protects the rights of impoverished, abused and neglected children in Los Angeles County. We advocate for healthcare, education and financial support for families created by adoption, foster care and guardianship. We also address the needs of foster youth leaving care without a permanent family. Whenever possible, we remedy system wide issues through policy reform. Our clients include children in foster care, runaway and emancipating youth, and relative and non-relative caregivers. With the help of pro bono attorneys, we have assisted 125,000 families to achieve safe, stable homes, healthcare and the education children need to succeed in school and in life.

Child Advocates mobilizes advocate volunteers to break the vicious cycle of child abuse. We speak up for abused children who are lost in the system and guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. A judge appoints Child Advocates to represent the best interests of a child or sibling group in foster care. They serve as the judge’s eyes and ears while the children are in custody, ensuring their unique needs are met until they can safely return home or are permanently placed with a loving relative or adoptive family. Unlike Child Protective Services caseworkers and court-appointed attorneys who juggle overwhelming caseloads, our volunteers represent just one child or sibling group at a time. Their advocacy makes sure no child falls through the cracks of our overburdened child welfare system. Child Advocates volunteers make a profound difference in the lives of the children they serve. Studies show children served by an advocate volunteer are better able to work with others and control deviant behavior than children without an advocate. Also, more parents of these children complete counseling services, psychiatric evaluations, and drug and alcohol counseling than those without an advocate. With Child Advocates’ help, we can break the cycle of child abuse and give more foster children a chance at a better, brighter future.