Family Advocate Program Inc.

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2011 to Jun 30, 2012

Signed

May 14, 2013

Return Version

2011v1.2

Gross Receipts

$777,201

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Children's protective services: casa - children in foster care are paired with volunteer court appointed special advocates (casa) who advocate for them as they navigate the confusing world of the child protection system. These volunteers, also called guardians ad litem, give magistrate judges a fact-based recommendation based upon research and investigation as to what is in the child's best interest. Volunteers give children a voice and are the only party involved who is exclusively there to make sure the children are in a safe, stable home. Last year the casa program served 452 children. Approximately $531,976 of donated time was given by 164 volunteer guardians (7,500 donated hours) and 110 lawyers (5,000 donated hours). That would have otherwise been paid for by the counties and taxpayers.

Activity 3

In wake of federal funding cuts mentioned above, family advocates launched a volunteer home visiting program that utilizes volunteer management approaches from the court appointed special advocates program. Using staff and volunteers 924 home visits were conducted by family advocates in fy 11. Home visits are provided to parents with children birth to age six. The program prevents child abuse and ensures children arrive at school ready to succeed. It uses a national evidence-based model, parents as teachers. Research shows that parents in this program engage in more language- and literacy-promoting activities with their children and are more involved with their childrens schooling than in comparison families. The children are more than advanced in language, problem solving and other cognitive abilities, and social development. They also score higher on kindergarten readiness tests and measures of reading, math, and language in the first through fourth grades. Research shows home visits also keep children safe since adolescent mothers receiving parents as teachers and case management prove less likely to have subsequent child abuse investigations. They face hardships such as poverty, single parenting, poor mental or physical health, failure to graduate high school, teen parenting, substance abuse, refugee status, physical disabilities, and/or unemployment. Over 86% of families served by families first are low-income, 25% of children live in single-parent households, and nearly 50% of parents are raising multiple children under the age of five.

Filer

EIN

82-0344205