Voices for Children - Foster Youth Volunteer Program - San Diego, California

Jose C.

They provide volunteer advocates to children in foster care. To ensure children have every opportunity to achieve stability, they match them with caring volunteers—called CASAs—who advocate for their best interests. One of the best & little known service providers in CA. See their website for volunteer opportunities!

George L.

Voices for Children trains and supports roughly 1200 court appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers. These CASA volunteers are not paid, but are motivated by the goodness of their hearts. The primary mission of the CASA volunteers is to serve as the eyes and ears for the Judge and to speak up for the foster child in court, at school, and other situations. Without these CASA volunteers, it would be nearly impossible for the Judges to make informed decisions. If you ask any dependency Judge in San Diego County, they'll tell you how much they appreciate the CASA volunteers.

John B.

This is a wonderful non-profit that recruits, trains and supports Court Appointed Special Advocates, volunteer sworn officers of the Court, who assist foster children to have as normal a life as possible. CASA's serve as the Judge's eyes and ears and make recommendations regarding the needs of their "case kids.". You, too, can help foster kids by becoming a CASA.

Yo Y.

Don't waste your time. There are many organizations out there who will love and value you and your time. I started to volunteer with this organization, and it was the most insulting experience I have ever came across. I did close to all of the work and assignments told aside of 1 pending. we as a group of trainees were told that we would get a follow up email individually on anything lingering. As I waited for Jaimes follow up email she gaslighted me instead and made it seem as if I was not interested and then questioning my ability to follow through. I went through 4 weeks of training giving 3 hours twice weekly, not including be for class videos and before class assignments, reached out to 3 people to use as for a reference, went to dmv for my printout, did 2 interviews over 1 hour each, paid money out of my own pocket to drive to pacific beach to get my fingerprints scan, and sent emails in a timely manner to communicate.
(What about all that shows little to no interest?) With all that said. Jamie continued to question my interest in the program for no reason other then her failure to read emails in a timely manner and reply back professionally. I decided to reached out to her direct supervior to give feed back and her Supervisor Jenna was also condescending and rude unwilling to acknowledge me when it came to me voicing my concern about my interaction with Jamie.
If she's been so supportive to others and followed up with others and did not gaslight others it makes me feel that it has to do with my race! There is no reason why she should not have shown me support or gratitude
For my time and all I had done. I was one of the only Hispanics in my group and I was the only one they were treating poorly for no reason.

Even more so to think that if the bigger picture is to help a child and that was something they were truly concerned for they would be going above and beyond to make that happen instead they both treated me like I was less than.

My advice is to volunteer your precious time with and organization and people who value and support you.
Good luck out there to all of you amazing people who do volunteer work...

Autismmama

I was an advocate here, but was discouraged from advocating for a child with autism when it reflected badly on the CPS workers and Polinsky Nurse who had messed up medications. My advocacy report was also withheld by a "Voices for Children" supervisor so it couldn't be seen by the Judge. Probably, because it exposed the medication errors that were covered up, along with injuries at Polinsky Center that went undocumented. Amazing. Shocking. Truth. Lost all respect for this organization and would never recommend anyone who is a real advocate for autism or people with developmental disabilities to waste their time or talent here. They don't want real advocates. Real advocacy entails investigation, exposing truth and honoring justice. These people want the advocates to do the bare minimun. Just go with the flow. "Don't step it in". Or, "Just play nice." You don't play "nice" when you're a real advocate and you discover that a county nurse isn't documenting medication errors or the child you are advocating for has been injured and people are refusing to talk to you about it, or let you see the living space where it allegedly happened. And who bows down to a medical doctor at Polinsky Center who is intimidated by an advocate who "asks too many questions." This was no voice for children experience for me. This was the opposite. This seemed like a front. A con job to the courts. This was my experience. Other people think this place is great and that's fine. This review is off the reality and truth of what I saw and experienced here.

Brendan W.

Advocacy group for Foster children.
Always in need of volunteers. Particularly people of color, men and women
Training on line, and you will learn the ropes in quick time!
Please check it out.

Charlie's W.

the truth is they do nothing for the children, I am a foster mother and they only come to my house vem to the child 5 min they only ask you a couple of questions and they no longer help you at all, and for that visit, they pay them a lot of money, for do nothing

Lisa S.

Grateful for an org that is an unwavering advocate for childrens’ welfare, centering equity and inclusion!