The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation will recognize the work of Voices for Children, the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in San Diego and Riverside counties, during a ceremony Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m., at the San Diego LGBT Community Center’s auditorium.
California State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, (D-San Diego), and Dr. Vincent Pompei, Director of the Youth Well-Being Project at the HRC Foundation, will honor the non-profit with HRC’s All Children-All Families “Seal of Recognition” for exemplary commitment to compassionate and competent care of LGBT youth in the foster care system.
Sharon Lawrence, Esq., President/CEO of Voices for Children, will accept the honor at the ceremony, hosted by Dr. Delores Jacobs, CEO of the San Diego LGBT Community Center. San Diego’s Voices for Children is the first of more than 900 CASA programs in the nation to earn this recognition.
“We’re honored to be recognized as a leader in serving LGBT youth, especially at a time when these young people are over-represented in foster care,” said Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq., President/CEO of Voices for Children. “This is testament to the humanity and dedication of our Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers and staff, and reflects our organization’s mission, which is to serve as a voice for foster children in court and provide recommendations to Juvenile Court judges so that the very best decisions can be made for the life of every foster child, including youth who identify as LGBT.”
Voices for Children earned the designation by meeting HRC’s criteria for fully-inclusive policies and practices in working with the LGBT community. The HRC Foundation’s All Children—All Families initiative provides a comprehensive framework, from client non-discrimination policies to staff training, that assists agencies in establishing policies and practices that welcome, support, and affirm LGBT youth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Voices for Children into the community of child welfare organizations that are truly committed to supporting and serving the LGBT youth in their care,” said Ellen Kahn, Director of the HRC Foundation’s Children, Youth & Families Program. “The child welfare professionals at Voices for Children are shining examples of how to prioritize efforts to improve practice with LGBT youth.
With 400,000 children in our nation’s foster care system, and a disproportionately high number who identify as LGBT, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of child welfare agencies to competently serve LGBT youth. The 1,500 Voices of Children volunteers and their leaders in San Diego are setting a national standard for advocacy on behalf of our most vulnerable youth.
OK , do something USEFUL as to the exorbitant number of L G B an T young people damnit !