VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
​TO SERVE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE

 
COURT  APPOINTED  SPECIAL  ADVOCATE
CASA  OF  LOS  ANGELES                                                   323-859-2888                 www.casaforchildren.org
Social workers can have caseloads of up to 50 foster children and cannot possibly provide the needed oversight.  CASA volunteers are appointed by a judge to be a “Court Appointed Special Advocate” for one child in foster care. CASA volunteers are often the only constant adult in a child’s life, and they ensure a child’s needs are not overlooked. Many children point to their CASA volunteer as the person who made a huge difference during their time living in foster care.


EDUCATIONAL  ADVOCATE
CHILDREN’S  LAW  CENTER  OF  LOS  ANGELES                     Patrick Hirsch                                                       hirschp@clcla.org
Due to frequent school changes and lack of parental support, many children in foster care struggle in school, greatly damaging their chances for future success. You can change a child’s future by becoming an “Educational Rights Holder” for a foster child.  Educational advocates interact with the child and school staff to ensure the child is receiving proper attention and assistance from teachers and school leadership. 


MENTOR / HOST / ADVOCATE
KIDSAVE                                                                                                310-642-7283               www.kidsave.org
There are hundreds of children in foster care in LA who are waiting for an adoptive family to find them. Kidsave is an innovative program that allows volunteers to meet, befriend and advocate for some of these children hidden from public view.  Provide encouragement & support to a waiting child as you accompany him or her to events designed for interaction with potential adoptive families. You are also welcome to introduce the child(ren) to people in your own community in order to raise awareness of their desire to be adopted.
 


FOSTER  PARENTING  AND  ADOPTION
KOINONIA  FAMILY  SERVICES                                             310-217-0930               www.kfh.org
OLIVE  CREST                                                                                    562-866-8956             www.olivecrest.org
Foster and adoptive parenting is one of the best ways to impact the life of a child, and LA County has a great lack of foster/adoptive parents right now. Koinonia Family Services and Olive Crest are faith-based foster care and adoption agencies that offer excellent training and support. They are looking for individuals and couples interested in providing short term or longer term foster care to children in need of a stable, loving home. Each agency offers foster-adopt placements for those who want to offer a permament family through adoption.

DEPT.  OF  CHILDREN  &  FAMILY  SERVICES   (DCFS)                           888-811-1121                        lacdcfs.org/shareyourheartla
DCFS is the local government agency responsible for the 21,000 children in foster care in LA County. Foster and adoptive parenting is one of the best ways to impact the life of a child, and LA County is in need of more foster parents.   They are seeking couples and individuals to foster or adopt children from newborn to teens.

 
YOUTH  CLUB & SUMMER CAMP MENTOR
IMPACTING  HEARTS  OF  YOUNG  LIFE                      323-313-5209               www.impactinghearts.younglife.org
ROYAL  FAMILY  KIDS                                                                 714-438-2494              www.royalfamilykids.org
TEEN LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION                                   949 -899-8100             www.teenleadershipfoundation.com
Youth in foster care can find genuine relationships and care at local youth clubs and summer camps.  There is a great need for more volunteers to help reveal God’s love, truth and grace through real relationships that provide these youth with love, support and a sense of “family”.  Volunteers with Impacting Hearts, Royal Family Kids and Teen Leadership Foundation mentor at weekly clubs or monthly gatherings.   Each agency operates in different ways, but a life-changing summer camp is an instrumental experience for each local mentoring organization.
 
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JOB & LIFE SKILLS MENTOR
FOSTERING HOPE LA                                               310-292-9734            www.fosteringhopela.org
TEEN LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION                  949 -899-8100           www.teenleadershipfoundation.com
Without an adoptive family, older teens will emancipate from foster care between age 18-21 in Los Angeles.  Fostering Hope LA and Teen Leadership Foundation provide one on one mentorship to older youth who need job and life skills training.  Christian mentors provide consistent, healthy adult interaction and guidance to teens and young adults as they learn to develop skills and good character for the workplace.  Mentors share the love of Jesus as they prepare youth to succeed in their employment, education & personal relationships.  Each organization’s program is unique.  In addition to life skills training, Teen Leadership Foundation also operates The Launch Pad, a supportive transitional housing opportunity for emancipated young adults.