Why You Should Donate
Why You Should Donate
Your donation enables Voices for Children to serve hundreds of Monterey County children in the foster care system. With revenue generated by grants, individuals, investments, and events, Voices for Children employs professionals experienced in family systems, child development, and social services, knowledgeable in both the legal and clinical aspects of the foster care system. These professionals screen, train, and supervise community volunteers who advocate for children and youth in the foster care system.
The impact of CASAs in our community is significant. CASAs provide a service that would be cost-prohibitive for the county to provide. For the period July 2010 to June 2011, the average cost per ‘CASA’ child came out to a little over $300 a month, not counting the contribution of the labor hours donated by the volunteer. By comparison, the state and county spend an average of $10,000 per month for children placed in a group home (range per month is $6,000 to $16,000 per child). The ratio of the two costs is dramatic: if a child’s permanent placement can be accelerated by one year through the use of a CASA, there could be a net savings of $116,400 for the community. Using these same figures, one month of foster care theoretically could fund 30 months of a CASA, or 30 CASAs for that month. Your investment in CASA leverages resources that make a tremendous impact on a child’s life and in our community.
How Your Donation Is Used
Advocate recruitment, training, and supervision lies at the heart of our work for foster children. Your contribution to Voices for Children allows us to:
- recruit the most qualified, capable, and committed volunteers using targeted multimedia
- thoroughly screen all applicants via interviews and background checks
- offer quarterly 40-hour training classes annually, plus continuing education workshops, for advocates
- provide professional case management and supervision of advocates
- evaluate advocates and program effectiveness
- offer staff development and training, including participation in youth-directed projects and events
- provide specialized services, such as family finding and educational advocacy
When the generosity of individuals and other funders makes it possible, we offer expanded services such as in-depth continuing education, public policy advocacy, direct support of children’s needs, and advocacy for special populations (e.g., transitioning youth, children birth-to-five, youth in the delinquency system).
Donors may also contribute to our YES Fund, which provides such important tangible support as school supplies, technology, class photos, sports equipment and uniforms, holiday and birthday gifts, and extracurricular tuition and materials.
Primary Revenue Sources: Private and Public Foundations, Individual Donors, Major Donors, Civic Organizations, Agency-hosted Events; Community Events, Planned Giving/Bequests, Government contracts and grants.
A Donor's Story
Joe Marasco was drawn to Voices for Children in 2004 when he retired and moved with his wife Wini to Monterey County. His experience as a CASA was a positive one. He served two children and saw that with concerted efforts, a watchful CASA could very much influence the outcome of a case. During this period, Wini got to see how the program worked, and its salutary effects both on the kids and on Joe.
With grown-up children and the arrival of grandchildren, Wini and Joe developed a heightened awareness that the future is in our children. What CASA illustrated for them is that it is not just your children and the other children you know who matter, but ALL the children. Our community tomorrow depends on what happens to all of today’s children, especially the ones who are in need and who are often invisible to us.
After a brief leave of absence, Joe rejoined the organization, this time as a volunteer staff person, helping with supervision, internal systems, and financial advising. Observing the organization now from the inside motivated him to the next phase of support, as a donor. He and Wini considered how they could best have an impact on the organization, and they put this in the context of their entire charitable giving program. Their decision was to concentrate their efforts behind Voices for Children. They have done so for the past few years, with their participation consisting of both monetary donations and in-kind contributions of time and services. They have every intention of continuing their support for many years to come.
