We are champions for the rights and liberties of Indiana’s children.
Child Advocates serves children and youth statewide who have experienced abuse and neglect. We champion and advocate for justice and racial equity in child welfare in all communities to build a better future for all children. Our commitment is to listen to children and be their voice, standing up for their liberties and working tirelessly to keep them safe and secure with an opportunity to thrive.
We are a welcoming agency to the LGBTQ+ community.
Studies show that as many as 1 in 7 children has a treatable mental health disorder but as many as half of them do not receive treatment. In May of 2022, we launched a new program as the single point of entry to help families explore eligibility and apply for state-funded home and community-based mental health services for their children.
The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) chose Child Advocates as the first single-statewide access site for its Child Mental Health Wraparound (CMHW) program. The High Fidelity wraparound program serves Hoosier children and youth in every Indiana county who face serious mental health or behavioral challenges.
And, for the first time, families can call just one phone number—211—and ask to be connected to the state’s wraparound program for their children. That one number streamlines and starts the process to determine whether their child is eligible for the Child Mental Health Wraparound (CMHW) program. It is changing many children’s lives.
On the link, below, we share a blog we wrote when our new program launched to help connect families to CMHW.
Child Advocates offers vital programs and services for vulnerable children and youth statewide through a race equity lens. We serve children and youth, in the child welfare system, who have experienced abuse and neglect, and we advocate for racial equity in child welfare and our communities to help build a better future for all children.
We fulfill our mission through four key programs: Interrupting Racism for Children, Mediation and Facilitation, Direct Representation, and Legal Services.
We help children of all ages, races and socio-economic backgrounds. Children with irresistible grins, vivid imaginations, and incredible potential. A gift to Child Advocates helps protect the rights of our community’s most vulnerable youth.
Children living in foster care lose 6 to 8 months of academic achievement every time they change foster homes. Volunteer as a Child Advocate to help them stay connected to school and learning.
Four is the number of homes a child will likely live in during their first year in foster care.
29,000 children are currently in Indiana’s foster care system.
