Child Advocates, Inc.

How do nonprofits like Child Advocates exist and serve some of the most vulnerable among us in our communities? We often depend on the generosity of grantors and others who support our programs. In this new year, we want to recognize and thank the Indianapolis Rotary Foundation, the primary charitable arm of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis, for its recent gift of a $25,000 grant. It supports the work of our attorneys who serve immigrant children in the child welfare system. 🌟They are children who have faced abuse and neglect and deserve to find a safe and loving home. Some of our immigration attorneys and advocates, our CEO Phyllis Armstrong, and our board member and former Marion County Superior Court Judge, David Dreyer, were among those who attended a luncheon where we received the grant. We believe in the potential and possibilities of every child. And we are grateful for the organizations and businesses that share that same belief and have a heart for all children. You can learn more about our legal services and other programs here: https://lnkd.in/gb6xHtQc #childwelfare #grants #sponsors #funders #nonprofit #childadvocacy #childadvocate #immigration #children #justice #equity #wellbeing

“The new year is not just about a change in the calendar. It's about setting fresh goals, embracing new opportunities, and believing in your own potential.” – Author Unknown Hope you had a wonderful New Year Celebration last week! We share this quote as an inspirational way to head into a new year personally and professionally. It is what we wish for ourselves, the children we serve, and those who support or follow our work...especially the part about 'believing in your own potential.' Cheers to a fresh start, a blank canvas, and a year filled with endless possibilities! What new goals are you setting for a new year? You might inspire others when you share. 🥂✨ #NewYear #2025Goals #goals #inspire #inspiration #work #career #business #family #future

We head into a new year with a continuing commitment to vulnerable children, and that includes helping create communities where a child's race will never predict their life outcomes. Child Advocates launched racial equity workshops nearly 15 years ago to address the disproportionality of Black and brown children and youth in the child welfare system. Today, our workshop is titled "Interrupting Racism for Children," and it has expanded to help prevent racism in communities across Indiana. Thousands of people from every racial background have attended. And here is what some of them say: ⭐“This workshop really teaches everyone how to unlearn the stereotypes about other races because every bias we have is room for racism to keep growing.” ⭐"This workshop creates safe spaces for people to find common ground and shared purpose on behalf of children.” ⭐“I have never experienced a conversation about racism that both acknowledged the truth of everyone’s experience and stayed focused on our common purpose and the goal of solidarity. It was both refreshing and informative." Be a child advocate. You can help us build communities where every child has an equal and equitable opportunity to succeed. Support our workshops and our children's future. Please donate today: https://bit.ly/4gRzgN3 #childadvocate #childadvocacy #children #childwelfare #equity #wellbeing #justice #equality #racialequity #donate #give #nonprofit

Can you imagine what it is like to be an older child placed in the child welfare system, due to abuse or neglect in your home, yet you have no role in determining your future? Indiana is one of only a few states that does not offer counsel (attorneys) for foster children and youth. But as Child Advocates, we offer older children a free attorney to stand up for their rights in court through our Direct Representation program. However, we cannot do this work alone. In the New Year, we need help to advocate for more children who deserve to find a safe, loving, and permanent home. You can have an impact in their lives! Support our work as we fight for justice for youth and empower them to help shape a brighter future. Learn more in our short video, below. #childadvocacy #fosterchild #childabuseawareness #donate #give #charity #nonprofit #justice #wellbeing #childwelfare #children #attorney #legalservices

It is still hard to wrap our minds around these facts. Somewhere in America today, as many as one in seven children is living in a home where they are abused or neglected. And research shows that as many as five children die from abuse or neglect in the U.S. every day. Abuse can be physical. But it can also be emotional with behaviors that harm a child's self-worth, such as withholding love, calling them names, or rejecting, threatening, or shaming them. And neglect involves depriving them of some of their essential needs, such as food, clothing, housing, and education. But in the words of Nelson Mandela, "...We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." This holiday season, you can be a child advocate. Join us as we help find safe homes for children who are abused, offer free educational services for children who are struggling in school, and seek justice, equity, and well-being for every child. We believe every child deserves hope, safety, and love. During this giving season, you can help us build a better future for them. Please donate today: https://lnkd.in/gHx2wEAS #give #donate #children #childabuseprevention #childabuseawareness #childadvocacy #justice #wellbeing #equity #childadvocate #nonprofit

Just checking in during this holiday season with hopes you had a Merry Christmas and will soon have a wonderful New Year celebration! As we review the year, we are celebrating this "good news" in a message from our CEO Phyllis Armstrong to our staff this week: "As we close out 2024, know that your hard work enabled us to serve more than 4,900 children this year, surpassing last year’s total. Thank you for all that you do throughout the year in support of our mission!" Support from many of you has made it possible for us to serve vulnerable children and youth across Central Indiana. We are so very thankful and we know that, together, we can serve even more in 2025!   #HappyHolidays #MerryChristmas #NewYear #childadvocate #childadvocacy #children #youth #justice #equity #wellbeing

"David" quit school. He stopped showing up because the impact of his mental health issues was greater than his capacity to cope with the responsibilities and pressure of classes. But David did not have to face this challenge alone. After connecting with educational liaisons at Child Advocates, they helped David, his family, and school personnel collaborate to create a personalized transition plan. This plan allowed David to slowly ease back into school to increase his chances of success. He started by only taking classes that matched his interests. Then, he gradually added core subjects in a supportive, small class setting. Today, David's life is back on track! Within just one semester, he returned to school full-time. And he is now on schedule to graduate with the rest of his class. Child Advocates offers educational liaisons at no cost to children or families. But we can't do this work alone. This Giving Season, help us serve more children like David. We depend on the generosity of those who support our work, and there are many more children who need an educational liaison or our other services for vulnerable children across Indiana. Be a child advocate. Any gift you give can help change a child's life. Click here today: https://lnkd.in/gHx2wEAS #givingback #charity #education #school #childwelfare #children #childadvocate #wellbeing #nonprofit #studentsuccess #students #donate #give

We are excited to learn that 'one of our own' incredible attorneys, Rachel Vilensky, has been selected to serve as a State Coordinator for Indiana by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). NACC trains and certifies attorneys and others in the child welfare system who represent children, families, and agencies. It also advocates for policy reform. NACC currently has 40 State Coordinators who support and connect a growing network of child welfare attorneys and other advocates for children who are in the system. Rachel is one of our Legal Services’ attorneys and the Director of our Direct Representation program which represents older children in the child welfare system. Child Advocates also has Immigration attorneys and attorney mediators for foster children and their families. Our CEO, Phyllis Armstrong says, “We understand the critical importance of supporting a network of attorneys and other advocates who represent children in the child welfare system. We all have the same goal—to build a better future for every child who has experienced abuse or neglect and deserves to have a permanent and safe home.” NACC selects state coordinators as volunteers to serve two terms and help build community and support for practitioners who serve children in the child welfare system. We thank NACC for this important work, and we are honored to be involved. (*See Rachel and other state coordinators in the NACC post link.)

She shouldn’t feel scared, but she is, due to abuse and neglect in her home as a child. He shouldn’t face racism, but he does, bearing pain he’s too young to comprehend. And children shouldn't struggle in school alone, but some do, when no one is helping them succeed. As Child Advocates, we champion children and families throughout Indiana seeking justice, equity, and well-being for them. ⭐Our attorneys represent children in the child welfare system who've experienced abuse and neglect, and that includes standing up for their rights in court, at no cost to the child. ⭐ Our educational liaisons offer free help for students in grades K-12 who struggle socially, emotionally, or academically due to life traumas or other challenges. ⭐Our race equity facilitators host “Interrupting Racism for Children” workshops for the community to help build a future where a child’s race will never predict their life outcomes. Join us and be a child advocate. If you know someone who needs our services or if you want to support our work, learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gb6xHtQc

“I faced mental, emotional, and physical abuse from my parents. I wouldn’t cry because I would be perceived as weak. Without my attorney, I would have gone back to an abusive home... Now, I’m in a new home and preparing for college. My attorney changed my life.”   These are the words of a teenage girl who once felt hurt, lost, and alone. She is one of thousands of vulnerable Indiana children in the child welfare system whom we have served. Rachel Vilensky, an attorney and the Director of our Direct Representation program, advocated for her rights in court.   Indiana is one of only a few U.S. states that does not mandate an attorney for foster children. Their abuser has a right to an attorney but the child does not. Child Advocates is the only organization in Indiana offering free, in-house attorneys for older children in the child welfare system so that they have a say in determining their future. According to the National Counsel for Children, when youth in the child welfare system have their own attorney, they are 40% more likely to leave the foster care system and find a safe, secure, and permanent home within the first six months. But there are countless foster children still waiting for a safe, permanent, and loving place to call home. And they could use an attorney to stand up for them.   This Giving Season, help us serve more children. Any gift you give will help change a child’s life. Please donate today: https://lnkd.in/eFwczFDJ #donate #children #preventabuse #childabuse #abuseawareness #childwelfare #justice #equity #wellbeing #childadvocacy #childadvocates