[Music]
They can't fight abuse, but we can.
The numbers say it all.
[Music]
We must fix this. At the Center for the
Rights of Abused Children, our mission is
to protect children, change laws, and
inspire people to ensure every abused
child has a bright future. It's why our
Founders started the center in 2017 and
is what has kept us going every day
since.
In 2011 I went to a foster care
orientation, where I was told that babies
were sleeping in hallways because the
agency couldn't find enough foster
parents. And I felt called.
So, I took in my first infant and soon I
had taken in 10 - and I adopted four of
them. And through this work, I saw that
abused children needed to be recognized
as having a Constitutional right to
legal representation. And I felt called
again. I founded the Center for the
Rights of Abused Children to advocate
for this change and so many more, so that
every child can have a loving family and
a bright future.
Our advocacy for abused children happens
in real time every day. We help children
who are falling through the cracks by
strengthening protections to end
violence and actively fighting for them
in court. Our Children's Law Clinic has
handled thousands of cases, serving as an
advocate for children in court, providing
free emergency legal assistance, and
expediting their passage to justice,
family, and a better tomorrow. Real change
requires Common Sense reforms. How do we
make those happen? We fight. Because of
the Center, tens of thousands of abused
children in foster care now have an
attorney. Finding relatives faster means
less time in state care, and law
enforcement has what it needs to help
identify missing children and stop the
abuse.
These common sense reforms have brought
more babies to safety.
Teenagers in foster care can now access
their own birth documents, allowing them
to build their futures, opening doors to
education and employment. Through the
years, we have been a lifeline for over
500,000 children in America.
Because of the Center, we're safe. Because of the Center, I have a family.
Because of the Center, I have a future.
The Center for the Rights of Abused
Children: five years, five hundred
thousand brighter futures. thecenterfor
children.org
[Music]