INDIANAPOLIS — Advocates for Children recently received a three-year Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI) grant of $999,947 from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
The grant will allow increased advocacy through legal consultation with attorneys and strengthen capacity and infrastructure. Along with legal consultation, Advocates for Children provides Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers or Guardians of Litem (GAL) to represent abused or neglected children in Bartholomew, Decatur and Jennings counties.
SYPI aims to help organizations throughout Indiana working to improve and promote the academic, physical and social well-being of people ages 5 through 18.
“Having access to an attorney to consult with is a huge asset to our CASA volunteers and Staff GAL advocates,” said Cruz Baisa, Advocates for Children’s Board President. “Advocating for the best interests of abused children is complicated and difficult work. Often, our advocacy on behalf of a child is strengthened by the involvement of an experienced attorney, through our Hon. Heather Mollo Legal Consultation Project. Unfortunately, we have not always been able to afford to hire attorneys when they have been needed. This generous support from Lilly Endowment changes that. It also means we have the funding to staff Advocates for Children in a way that will make us a more sustainable and effective organization for the future. With this investment, Lilly Endowment has made the future brighter for hundreds of abused and neglected kids in our community. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”
Mollo is a former Bartholomew County Juvenile Court Magistrate who retired in August 202o after 20 years of service.
