FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Carolina Schwarz

Voices For Children Foundation

Tel: 305.324.5678

Staggering statistics remind the community that April is designated as

National Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Month.

March 20, 2006- Miami, FL- Data suggests that more than 3,000,000 children in the U.S. are reported as alleged victims of abuse and neglect annually. For the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the Department of Children and Family initiated over 12,000 investigations in Miami-Dade County alone. Voices For Children Foundation, the fundraising arm of the 11^th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program, is calling on the community to get informed and Be a voice for our most vulnerable members this April, National Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Month.

April also marks the first full month of Spring, the month of blossoming. At least for the 2,100 abused, abandoned and neglected children in Miami-Dade County served by the nearly 500 Guardians Ad Litem who strongly believe in making a difference in the lives of the kids they represent in dependency court proceedings. “Child abuse is reported, on average, every 10 seconds in this country,” said Nestor Rodriguez, Executive Director of Voices For Children Foundation. “Our organization is constantly reaching out to the community and engaging them in the work we do. Our goal is for each abused, abandoned and neglected child in Miami-Dade to have a voice; we want the entire community to advocate for these kids’ rights to a safe a permanent home and stop the cycle of violence,” he added.

Statistics are alarming and often go underreported. At any given time, there are an estimated 3,800 children in foster care and protective services in Miami-Dade County. In 2005, over 43,900 children were under supervision of the Department of Children and Families and object of court proceedings throughout the State of Florida. This April, Voices For Children is calling out to the entire Miami-Dade Community to join the organization in being a voice and turning lives of hurt into lives of hope. To learn about what you can do, visit www.voices4.org .

Voices For Children Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to ensure that every abused, abandoned and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their accompanying health, educational, and social needs. Guardians Ad Litem are trained, court appointed volunteers who serve as the representative voice for abused, abandoned and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings.

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