Non-Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Boise, ID Permit No. 841
3010 W. State Street, Ste. 104 Boise, ID 83703 // 208-345-3344 www.familyadvocate.org
WHAT’S INSIDE • A Year of Accomplishments • A Guardian’s Story • Families First! • Thank You to Our Donors • Fiscal Year Financial Recap • 5 Ways You Can Help
STORIES OF
HOPE
Visit www.familyadvocate.org to watch two compelling videos about the people we help. We hope you are inspired by these stories, see the impact of your past gifts, and the difference your future gifts could make for other abused or neglected children.
Photography by Brad Talbutt. Printing generously donated by
Fighting for Kids Sandi King, Court Appointed Special Advocate, page 4
P r o v i d i n g a v o i c e f o r c h i l d r e n – S u pp o r t f o r f a m i l i e s
Family Advocates Family Advocates is a non-profit agency dedicated to keeping abused children out of danger and in safe homes, while partnering with parents to build strong families. Family Advocates has two important programs that complement each other – The CASA program and the Families First Program.
CASA
Court Appointed Special Advocates
Families First
Other components of this program include The Idaho Parent Information Resource Center, Please Read to Me and Love and Logic.
You’ll also read about our devoted Families First Parent Educators who continue to provide innovative, cost effective, early education services to a growing number of families, in spite of severe funding challenges.
2 \\\ March 2012
The Idaho Parent Information and Resource Center A collaboration of five Idaho agencies, with Family Advocates as the lead agency. Each organization, provides parent education services similar to those offered by the Families First Program. This collaboration serves 34 counties in Idaho. Other PIRC sites around the state are located in Coeur d’Alene, Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Caldwell.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Please take a moment to meet more than 850 people, companies, service groups and volunteers who donated their time and treasure to ensure Family Advocates continues to strengthen families and improve the lives of the 1,000 children we serve every year. I believe our stories will inspire you to become even more engaged in Family Advocates and our community. It takes so little to make a big difference; as we say here, “you don’t have to raise a child to raise them up. You just have to raise your hand and say you’ll help”.
Families First is the only early education home visiting program in the Treasure Valley. Professionally trained parent educators visit with parents in their homes to increase confidence in parenting skills, connect families to community resources and ultimately prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
Heidi Bogert Dornier, President Stacey Nelson Kumar, Vice President Cordell Chigbrow, Treasurer Terrie Havis, Immediate Past President & Secretary Jerrilea Archer Michelle Cassella-Bass Kim Halbig Sparks
Please Read to Me
Love and Logic
A literacy project to encourage and enhance reading skills by putting age appropriate books into the hands of children served by Family Advocates. Parent educators educate parents on the importance of reading to children and deliver one book a month for each child to the families they visit, and to build a “library” for each child.
A series of parent education classes that offer practical tools and techniques that help adults achieve respectful and healthy relationships with their children. The guiding philosophy of the class is that parents must hold their children accountable for their behavior. Love allows children to grow through their mistakes and Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices.
Allegra G. Higer Sherry Iverson Kody Kraus
Our 2011 Golf Tournament and Gingerbread Gala fundraising events were a great success, helping to raise over $85,000 for our CASA and Families First Programs. Thanks to all of you for your generosity and support. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend this year’s events!
Family Advocates Golf Classic Monday, June 11th • 12:30 pm Plantation Golf Course Gingerbread Gala Friday, November 30th The Riverside Hotel
Nicole Sirak | Executive Director Megan Bates | Volunteer & Office Coordinator Alicia Kinser | CASA Manager
Megan E Mooney
Leslie Marston | CASA Volunteer Supervisor
Carey McNeal
Brad Talbutt | CASA Volunteer Supervisor
Deborah Nelson
Chuck Dudley | CASA Volunteer Supervisor
Lauren Necochea
America Carrion | Families First Manager
Devin Pierce
Michelle Tse | Parent Educator
Shawn Del Ysursa
Solymar Palm | Parent Educator Nancy Sharp | Parent Educator
15 \\\ March 2012
This time every year we take a moment to tell you about a few of the hundreds of hands at Family Advocates that were hard at work helping our community’s children. In these pages you’ll meet Sandi King, and read about her determination to protect two children in foster care. Her inspiring story is just one of dozens we could tell you about and the extraordinary commitment of our volunteers.
STAFF
Nicole Sirak | Executive Director
The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program is committed to the protection and healing of abused and neglected children who have been placed in foster care and referred to us by the courts. CASA appoints a trained volunteer (called a Guardian ad Litem) and a volunteer attorney to the child. It is the volunteer’s job to visit the child regularly, research the child’s background, and prepare a detailed profile of the child for the courts.
THE C A SA PRO GR A M
With the help of many who gave generously of their time, expertise and financial contributions, Family Advocates can report the following accomplishments for FY 2010-2011.
P L E D G E to P R O T E C T We need 100 people to pledge $25/month to sustain our work.
of the children assigned a CASA volunteer did not re-experience abuse and were placed in safe, permanent homes.
children placed in foster care were assigned a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate who acted as their voice in court.
Statewide, it is estimated the CASA program saves taxpayers
THE FA M IL IE S FIR S T PRO GR A M
As a Pledge to Protect Member, your gift helps us pair advocates with children in foster care through our Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program and helps parents develop the skills to give their children the best possible start through our Families First program. At the same time, consistent monthly donations help us manage our program better and maximize your contributions. To become a member, visit our website at https://www.familyadvocate.org/ccdonate.aspx or call 208-345-3344.
CASA volunteers donated hours of their time.
in court costs and attorney fees.
To reduce isolation, held Parent Group Meetings with topics ranging from household budgeting, fire safety and trips to area attractions low income families could not afford.
Made over
14 \\\ March 2012
RAISED TO DATE: $12,500 and 30 Donors = 10 Donors
connections to community services that help families meet basic needs.
Children assigned a CASA volunteer spend
less time in long term foster care.
of parents reported they have more confidence in their parenting skills. 100% would recommend our services to others.
Conducted over
home visits. of the families were “high needs” families facing poverty, single parenting, substance abuse, mental illness and/or failure to graduate from high school. 3 \\\ March 2012
2 010 -2 011 FIN A N CI A L R EP O R T
In December, CASA volunteer Sandi King flew to California to attend the ninth birthday of Jesse, one of the children for whom she advocated for the past 18 months. As Jesse’s new adoptive family began filling the pizza parlor where the party was being held, Sandi and her husband Dan left the main table and sat at the edge of the room to make space for the family. Cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles crowded together to celebrate both Jesse’s birthday, and to welcome him and his three year-old sister Amy into the family.
We completed our annual fiscal audit with all positive feedback from our auditors, Eide Bailly. With great pride, we recorded over $850,000 of in-kind revenue and donations, which leaves us speechless! Each year, we have been able to increase our in-kind contribution amount, and are very thankful to all the generous donors who make this possible. This includes our legal community, volunteer Guardian Ad Litems, and administrative volunteers who donate a generous amount of time to Family Advocates. This incredible amount also includes the Christmas gifts for the families and children we serve, and donated items for our live and silent auctions. Although these are tough economic times, we continue to move forward successfully due to the increased help from our wonderful supporters.
INCOME
INCOME Federal - direct $436,104 27% Federal - indirect $37,500 2% State $93,961 7% Local Government $45,000 4% Private Grants & Foundations $87,167 5% United Way Allocation $52,000 3% Events & Other Unrestricted Income $187,438 12% In-kind Contributions $679,425 42% TOTAL $1,618,595
In-kind Contributions 42%
Federal - direct 27%
Federal - indirect 2%
State 7%
Local Government 4%
Private Grants & Foundations 5%
United Way Allocation 3% Events & Other Unrestricted Income 12%
EXPENSES
EXPENSES Fundraising/Grant Writing $130,726 Public Education $ 6,808 Administration $118,585 CASA $727,924 Families First $138,001 Idaho PIRC $436,104
8%
