Our Story
Voices For Children was founded in 1984 by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Joni Goodman, Rita Switchkov, Cindy Lerner, Berta Blecke and others who were moved to action by the vulnerability of abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Miami-Dade County. Through a small seed donation of $4,000, Voices For Children Foundation was created to address the lack of state-allocated resources needed to run the local 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian a Litem Office. Since then, Voices For Children has evolved to provide the 1,600+ children in Miami-Dade County’s foster care system with a voice in court, basic needs, dignity items, and experiences so children can go from surviving to thriving.
We have helped over 40,000 children throughout our nearly four decades of service. We believe that each and every child and youth in the foster care system deserves support and advocacy.
Today, Voices For Children makes this happen by providing critical funds for advocacy through the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem program in Miami-Dade County. But only through donor and community support can Voices for Children continue to fulfill its mission of providing representation for 100% of children in foster care.
Voices For Children Foundation’s work is made possible through fundraising events, private foundation and government grants, and individual and corporate donors.
VFC Founders (l-r): Cindy Lerner, Rita Swichkow and Shirly Spear
VFC Founders (l-r): Rachel Weldeyesus, Michael Rosenberg and Daniella Levine
