| In this
Edition:
Sacred Work: Protecting Children
Executive Director's
Message
Wine & Dine Benefit
Rewrites History
Outstanding SCA staffers receive Judge Roger Warren Awards
SCA Celebrates 17 years
of service
Child Welfare Fund
Will Amy be able to call
her brother today?
Did you know? |
Will
Amy Be
Able to Call Her Brother
Today?
Most children spend
their time deciding what
cartoons to watch or who
to call on their
personal cell phone.
 Not
so for Amy! Amy only
wants to know whether or
not she will be allowed
to talk to her twin,
Brandon, this month.
Brandon is in a separate
group foster home. Amy
and Brandon are 14 years
old and have been in
foster care for 9
years. In the last
year, Amy and Brandon
have not seen each other
and have spoken by phone
only twice.
Is it a fundamental
right for Amy and
Brandon to be able to at
least speak to each
other? If so, who
represents them? Who
will be their voice?
Maybe it does not
matter? Well, to me, it
clearly matters.
Someone out there has to
advance the basic rights
of the most vulnerable
population in this
country, especially
children in foster
care. SCA provides a
voice for these
children.
Sacramento Child
Advocates has been
protecting children in
foster care for 15
years. One of the
attorneys at Sacramento
Child Advocates will ask
the right questions for
Amy and Brandon and will
enforce their most basic
and obvious human
rights. But, SCA only
has 18 attorneys, 7
social workers, and 24
hours in a day.
I made the decision
several years ago to
support this non-profit
agency financially
because of the endless
stories like Amy’s and
Brandon’s. I have also
joined the Board of
Directors, as a way of
further supporting SCA.
I simply was not aware
of what happens to kids
after they are removed
from families due to
abuse and neglect and
placed in foster care.
What happens to them?
Who speaks for them? Is
life good for them? Are
they happy? Will they
be reunited with their
parents and siblings?
 Your
generosity will enable
SCA to continue to be
the voice for these most
vulnerable members of
our community. Your
gift to Sacramento Child
Advocates will help the
nearly 5,000 abused and
neglected children who
SCA will represent in
2008. They need an
advocate who will create
a place for them that is
safe from violence, safe
from fear, and safe from
brutality. Someone who
will help them to
believe that they indeed
have a promising future,
that life can be good
and kind. And that yes,
Amy can call her brother
Brandon today!
Robert Buccola, Esq.
Member, Board of
Directors
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Wine & Dine
Rewrites
History
The agency’s
fourth annual
Wine & Dine
Benefit for
Children, held
May 17, is now
part of our
history but,
boy, did it
rewrite SCA
history! This
one event
brought in more
needed funds for
the agency than
the three
previous events
combined!
 The
Wine & Dine
brought in just
over $67,000
thanks to the
generosity of
many.
Between sponsors
who helped
underwrite the
benefit,
volunteers who
gave of their
time and
talents,
restaurants and
vintners who
donated their
food, wine and
serving staff,
donors who
donated items
for auction,
local media who
gave our benefit
free publicity,
and the over 300
supporters who
attended the
benefit, it was
a community
effort that
resulted in
unprecedented
rewards.
Thank you on
behalf of the
children our
agency
represents!
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Did You
Know?
-
There are
more than
500,000
children in
foster care
in the
U.S.
Approximately
20%, or
100,000,
live in
California.
-
3.6 million
children
were
investigated
as potential
victims of
abuse or
neglect as
reported
September
2005. 25% of
those cases
were
confirmed.
-
69% of
children in
foster care
are of
minority
backgrounds.
-
Almost half
of the
children in
foster care
have
siblings who
are also in
foster care.
-
Based on
high birth
trauma and
many life
challenges,
50% of
foster youth
experience
developmental
delays,
which is 4-5
times more
than the
rate found
among
children in
the general
population.
-
Former
foster youth
are found to
suffer from
post-traumatic
stress
disorder at
2 times the
level of
U.S. war
veterans.
-
1/3 of
former
foster youth
have incomes
substantially
below the
federal
poverty
level.
-
25% of
former
foster youth
will be
incarcerated
within the
first two
years of
emancipation.
-
Within 18
months of
emancipation
40-50% of
foster youth
become
homeless.
-
75% of
children in
foster care
are behind
grade level.
-
SCA provides
legal
representation,
advocacy,
support,
children’s
services
(health,
mental
health,
education
and social)
and
assistance
to the
Family
Services
division of
the
Sacramento
Superior
Court.
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