Fundacion Azteca America teams up with CASA of Los Angeles to Support Foster Kids.

Azteca America’s Los Angeles affiliate Azteca 54 has teamed up with foster advocate group CASA of Los Angeles to help defend the rights of the children in the Los Angeles foster care program.

CASA of Los Angeles supports volunteers who help foster children in court and the community. A CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a trained and supervised volunteer, appointed by a judge to advocate for a foster child – a child who is under the court’s protection because of abuse or neglect. A CASA volunteer provides an independent investigation of the child’s circumstances for the judge. The CASA gathers information, writes reports, and makes recommendations to the judge in the child’s best interests. CASA volunteers advocate for what they believe to be in the child’s best interests.

Over half of the children in foster programs in Los Angeles are Latinos, a situation that places a premium on bilingual volunteers.

Fundacion Azteca America’s Los Angeles chapter, with the support of Azteca 54, will be airing 30-second and 60-second spots throughout the year that make a call to action for volunteers in addition to increasing awareness of the needs of foster children and the court system in Los Angeles.

“Our youth are the future of Los Angeles and the nation,” said Luis J. Echarte, Chairman of Fundacion Azteca America and Azteca America Network. “We need to do everything we can to make sure that everyone has a fair shot from the onset.”

“CASA LA is very excited about this partnership with FAZA to reach out to bilingual volunteers to support vulnerable children at a critical period of their lives,” said David Melendez, Executive Director of CASA Los
Angeles. “A CASA volunteer represents a lifeline for many foster children to ensure their well-being and reunite them with family members.”