The (Columbus) Republic
Children who are caught up in the legal system as a result of abuse or neglect are among those who most need the help of selfless and caring adults. Those young people, who because of their age and circumstance cannot speak for themselves in legal proceedings, need someone to step in and represent their best interests and be a strong and compassionate voice of advocacy on their behalf.
That’s why it’s great news that the Lilly Endowment awarded Advocates for Children a three-year Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI) grant of $999,947.
We’re fortunate in Bartholomew, Decatur and Jennings counties to have a strong network of court appointed special advocates (CASAs) and guardians ad litem (GALs) with specialized training who step in to serve the interests of abused and neglected children through Advocates for Children.
The grant from the Lilly Foundation “will allow increased advocacy through legal consultation with attorneys and strengthen capacity and infrastructure,” the organization said.
Sometimes, the best efforts of CASAs and GALs need the backup of skilled legal counsel to ensure that kids’ best interests are being served.
“Having access to an attorney to consult with is a huge asset to our CASA volunteers and Staff GAL advocates,” said Cruz Baisa, Advocates for Children’s board president. “Advocating for the best interests of abused children is complicated and difficult work. Often, our advocacy on behalf of a child is strengthened by the involvement of an experienced attorney, through our Hon. Heather Mollo Legal Consultation Project. Unfortunately, we have not always been able to afford to hire attorneys when they have been needed. This generous support from Lilly Endowment changes that. It also means we have the funding to staff Advocates for Children in a way that will make us a more sustainable and effective organization for the future. With this investment, Lilly Endowment has made the future brighter for hundreds of abused and neglected kids in our community. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”
Mollo is a former Bartholomew County Juvenile Court Magistrate who retired in August 202o after 20 years of service.
This grant for Advocates for Children truly will improve the representation of children who otherwise would have no one to speak for them and represent their best interests in children in need of services and termination of parental rights cases, among other things.
As Baisa said, that sometimes requires the expertise of legal counsel familiar with the system, and how to navigate within the law to best serve the needs of children and ensure that they are not further victimized.
We commend the Lilly Endowment for recognizing the value of building on the good work of Advocates for Children. With this infusion of funding, children will be better served by an indispensable organization of trained volunteers and mission-driven professionals who are guided by a commitment to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable children.
If you’d like to help or learn more about this vital work, visit apowerfulvoice.org.
The (Columbus) Republic is a sister newspaper to the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
