Delco's Voices For Children Coalition Holding Kick-Off June 24

MEDIA, PA — CASA Youth Advocates, Inc., with support from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and The Foundation for Delaware County, today announces it will host its Voices for Children Coalition kick-off event on Monday, June 24.

The meeting will convene at 11am at the Drexelbrook Catering and Special Events Center in Drexel Hill.

The coalition was first announced at press conference by CASA Youth Advocates and Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland in April.

Voices for Children is a coalition of human service, government, philanthropic and individual advocates building a comprehensive safety net of services to ensure children’s healthy and safe development and advocate in support of programs, policies and services that will improve the life chances of children in Delaware County’s most vulnerable communities.

“We are thrilled to host and kickstart this coalition with the support of so many knowledgeable and experienced leaders with backgrounds in child welfare," said CASA Youth Advocates Executive Director Leigh Anne McKelvey. "Not only the leaders, but the fellow organizations who strive to work every day advocating for the best interests of children in our community – we are stronger together and I greatly look forward to seeing how our combined efforts will make change,”

The kick-off event will feature keynote speaker Paul DiLorenzo, ACSW, MLSP, who currently serves as Senior Director at Casey Family Programs. DiLorenzo has over 35 years of experience in child welfare, youth development and substance abuse settings. He has held senior administrative roles in both state and city government and has led non-profit organizations at the local and national levels. At Casey Family Programs, he serves as a consultant and supports states in their systems improvement efforts.

Also speaking at the event is Robert Listenbee, Esq. After serving as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the Obama Administration from 2013-2017, Listenbee, assumed the role of Philadelphia First Assistant District Attorney. Prior to his role as head of OJJDP, Listenbee served as chief of the Juvenile Unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia for 16 years. He is a Stoneleigh Foundation Visiting Fellow at Drexel University.

“The Foundation for Delaware County is excited to join CASA Youth Advocates and others who care about kids at their launch event for Delaware County’s Voices for Children," said Frances Sheehan, President of The Foundation for Delaware County. "We made our largest grant - $100,000 over two years - to CASA to launch this collective impact effort because we believe strongly that succeeding against the toughest issues impacting children requires partnership and collaboration, exactly the approach that CASA is known for in their work with children in the dependency system. Whether you’re an individual, organization, government agency, or business, we hope you’ll be part of this important new advocacy effort in Delaware County."

Key participating organizations include: United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey, Delaware County Women Against Rape, Family Support Line & the Delaware County CAC, Child Guidance Resource Center, Children & Youth Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Public Citizens for Children & Youth (PCCY), Elwyn, Domestic Abuse Project, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Chester Education Foundation, Office of Early Intervention, Crozer-Keystone Health System, Juvenile Court & Probation Services, Community YMCA of Eastern Delaware County, Children’s Choice, Upper Darby School District, & State Senator Tim Kearney’s Office.

“I was honored to help announce the establishment of CASA’s Voices for Children coalition this past April, and we look forward to seeing it in action," Copeland said. "Each participating organization is deeply entrenched in the issues facing children in Delaware County, and this will be an exciting opportunity for us to engage with one another in a joint cause."

CASA Youth Advocates recruits, trains and supports volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates who work to ensure that abused and neglected children in Delaware and Chester counties’ child welfare systems find a safe, permanent, and nurturing home.

For more information about the coalition and to sign up for the kick-off event, visit the CASA website here.