By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Voices for Children will host a spectacular evening under the stars to support children living in San Diego County foster care and the life-changing advocacy of Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers.
The annual Starry Starry Night gala will be held on October 19 at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in downtown San Diego.
Voices for Children honorary chairs, Katie and Dan Sullivan, Sarah Houghton, Megan Delgado, and Lindsay Estrada will host the event, along with CBS 8’s Neda Iranpour as the emcee.
The gala will feature inspirational stories from the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, the first CASA Lifetime Achievement award presentation, a live auction, and dining.
The nonprofit organization will also recognize the contributions of Voices for Children’s founder and longest-serving CASA volunteer, Kathryn Ashworth, Esq. A resident of Point Loma, she has been a steadfast advocate for Voices for Children for more than 43 years, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to their cause and the children they serve.
Following her mother’s legacy, Ashworth has always held an active role in serving her community. As a young volunteer with the Junior League, she became aware of the critical need to enhance the capacity of child abuse prevention and child advocacy in San Diego County.
While in law school, Ashworth was assigned the topic, “Is foster care good for children?” for a particular course, and this prompted her to delve into the intricacies of the child welfare system and holistically learn about child development. Ashworth came across a project by the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges through her studies. This project, which utilized volunteers to review specific case files of children in foster care, was the spark that led to what is now Voices for Children.
In 1980, with the support of San Diego County’s Juvenile Court Presiding Judge and a $5,000 gift from the San Diego Bar Association, Ashworth collaborated with a former social worker, the late Elizabeth Bacon, to help children in foster care experience better home placements and more positive life outcomes. Together, they set up a desk in the hallway of the Juvenile Court and recruited members from the Junior League and the San Diego County Bar Auxiliary to volunteer to review specific case files of children in foster care. Their goal was to help judges make better-informed decisions when faced with a child’s case.
While attending a Juvenile Court Supervising Judges meeting, Ashworth and Bacon learned of the Court Appointed Special Advocate program model created in Seattle in 1977. It utilizes trained and supervised caring volunteers, or CASAs, who are paired with a specific child or siblings in foster care. This volunteer role was unique because the CASA would serve as a consistent adult presence in the child’s life throughout their time in the child welfare system and advocate for their best interests in court directly to the judge making decisions for that child’s future. Further, a CASA volunteer can provide much-needed support to the child in their education, health, and personal development. In 1983, Ashworth and Bacon embraced the CASA model, joined the National CASA Association, and integrated the CASA program into their work with the support of the presiding judge. The same year, Ashworth graduated with the first training class of Voices for Children CASA volunteers.
For many years, the nonprofit worked tirelessly to change the perception of skeptical social workers, attorneys, child welfare professionals, and community members and help them understand the invaluable support a CASA volunteer provides and see them as partners in achieving the best outcome for a child. Today, Voices for Children has become a trusted organization with a reputation for bringing a unique dedication to children and families and positively impacting current and future generations.
Since 1983, Voices for Children has remained the only organization in San Diego County authorized to provide CASAs to children in foster care. The organization is the largest CASA organization in California and among the three largest organizations in the nation.
Ashworth’s vision of the organization has supported more than 100,000 youth across San Diego and Riverside Counties, making a tangible difference in their lives.
“Starry Starry Night brings our community together to celebrate and support vulnerable children living in foster care in San Diego County. We look forward to honoring the work of the thousands of volunteers and supporters who help us with our special mission to provide a Court Appointed Special Advocate to every child in foster care who needs one,” said Voices for Children’s president and CEO, Jessica Muñoz, Esq., MFS.
To purchase tickets or tables for Starry Starry Night, visit voicesforchildrenssn.org.
For more information, to become a sponsor, or to join the Honorary Committee, contact events@speakupnow.org or (858) 598-2261.
