FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Apr 11, 2022
CONTACT: Gustavo Caraveo | Gustavo@childadvocatessv.org
San Jose, CA — Child Advocates of Silicon Valley has been rewarded $33,429, courtesy of the Sharks Foundations’ Goal for Kids program at the SAP Center on April 6, 2023.
“The Sharks Foundation is proud to once again have the opportunity to partner with Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, an agency that continues to enhance the lives of underserved youth in Santa Clara County. Together as a community, we can all SHOW UP for foster youth and make a lasting impact,” said Heather Hooper, Director of the Sharks Foundation.
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley has been named one of the beneficiaries at this year’s Sharks Foundation – Goals for Kids program. For every goal scored by the San Jose Sharks during the 2022-23 season, Goals for Kids will make a $1,000 donation to be added to a running total to Child Advocates to LIFT UP foster youth in Santa Clara County. At the Goals for Kids Celebration Night, the Sharks Foundation invited CEO, Frederick J. Ferrer to receive a check amounting to $33,429.
Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, added, “ We are pleased that the San Jose Sharks will continue to support our agency and the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program to STAND UP and reach every youth, serve deeply and effectively and most importantly, advocate for all foster children.”
Child Advocates is responsible for operating the CASA Program in Santa Clara County according to the National CASA Association guidelines, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers. Child Advocates holds four to six training classes per year in an effort to recruit a CASA for every child placed in the Santa Clara County Dependency Court System.
About the Sharks Foundation
The Sharks Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth and families in the community with an emphasis in the areas of education, health and safety, and character development. The Sharks Foundation supplies emergency aid when appropriate, executes unique and relevant programming, supports the advancement of youth hockey and provides financial support and resources to organizations that enrich the lives of those in need. Since its inception in 1994, the Foundation has given more than $18.2 million to hundreds of non-profit organizations serving youth and families in the Bay Area. For more information visit www.sharksfoundation.org.
About Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is an independent nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization created in 1986. We serve children aged birth to 21 years old who are placed in the Santa Clara County Dependency Court System for having experienced trauma in the form of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. We are responsible for operating the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program in Santa Clara County, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers according to the National CASA Association standards. To learn more, please visit ChildAdvocatesSV.org.
About the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program
The first Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program in the nation was created in 1977 to ensure children in foster care, who have experienced abuse or neglect, have a trained volunteer speaking up in the courtroom for their best interests. All CASA Volunteers are trained community members who are appointed with a court order by a judge to advocate for the best interests of a child in foster care. They stay with each case for up to a year or until the case is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. CASA Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators, service providers and family members to ensure the child’s voice is heard. Their advocacy enables judges to make the most well-informed decision for each child.
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