Question:  Why is getting a permanent home so important? Isn't foster care a safe place for kids?
Answer:  Children's lives run on a concentrated sense of time, what we call "childtime". If we operate on a schedule that is comfortable for adults, it will always be unacceptable for children. A two year old can spend his entire life in foster care and if his placement is in an institution, there are three shifts of caregivers every day. Even if it's a healthy and loving place, children need to have at least one adult whom they can count on to be there for them always. We believe children deserve unconditional parental love and that it's out there for every child. As a community we simply need to find it for them. That's part of what we do.

Question:  What impact do the cuts in Children's Services have on children in foster care? Can't CD just do a better job?
Answer:  The cuts in services to children in foster care are threatening the safety of our kids. While it's true that CD can do a better job of accountability, better supervision of cases, better training, much of which costs no money at all, there is still a basic need for qualified people to do the work. It's terribly hard work and there are many good and dedicated workers. They need support, superivison, but also standards to maintain. Missouri may not want to support a system they feel can do better, but we are near the bottom of the state rankings in state funds spent on children in foster care. We are working closely with CD to make the system work for kids, helping with training, working collaboratively on problems. But much needs to be done.

Question:  Can anyone volunteer to be a Voices for Children advocate?
Answer:  VFC advocates are ordinary citizens. No special educational or legal background is required. Volunteers are screened closely for objectivity, competence and commitment. Initial screening requires, at a minimum, background checks, a minimum age of 21 and a personal interview.

Question:  Why do abused children need a Voices for Children Guardian ad litem? If the system worked, would they be needed?
Answer:  A Guardian from Voices for Children speaks only for the child. In a child welfare system that is overburdened with too many children and too few resources, the voice of the child may not always be heard. Even if the system functioned well, the other team members are also providing services to families and the child needs someone focused solely on his well being.

Question:  What impact can a Voices for Children Guardian have on children's lives? Can they really make a difference?
Answer:  Voices for Children volunteers change the lives of abused and neglected children by helping them move from foster care to safe, permanent homes, giving them hope for a positive future. When a VFC volunteer represents a child, the average time spent in foster care is cut by more than half. Children receive the services to which they are entitled by law and they have someone to walk beside them through it all.

Question:  What kinds of children does Voices for Children represent?
Answer:  Children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents are taken into foster care under the authority of the Juvenile Court. They are all victims and range in age from newborn to 21. The Judge then chooses which children Voices for Children will represent and appoints us as soon as the child is taken into custody.