Helping Hands

There are approximately 1,700 youth currently in foster care in Miami-Dade County, and statistically their long-term socio-economic outlook isn’t good. Voices For Children wants to change that and ensure that every abused, abandoned and neglected child has a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to be a voice for them in court, and that financial assistance is available for their needs. This ranges from the basics of food, clothing and housing to important childhood activities such as summer camp, extracurricular and Senior-year activities as well as other events as needed. Children who have a GAL traditionally spend less time in foster care and are more likely to be adopted, are less likely to have poor conduct in school or get expelled, have a better chance to pass all courses and graduate high school, and are better positioned to have a consistent, responsible adult presence in their lives. There are presently 793 active Guardian Ad Litem volunteers, with over 1,000 children served last year and a total of 45,000+ children impacted since 1984; BeAVoice.org.