Each year BIA Cares for Kids chooses one or more projects that have the greatest impact on the youth of San Diego County. This year BIA Cares for Kids partnered once again with Voices for Children, to aid abused, neglected and/or abandoned children who are dependents of the juvenile court system.
The event entails constructing unique, one of kind playhouse for Playhouse Fantasy, a premier charity event that raises money to support Voice for Children. This is the second year that Rilington Communities has proudly participated in this program and once again brought in a respectable donation for this project. Our “Sugar Shack” was based on a little Plantation House, where laughing children run and play. With its forest green shingles and siding, Sugar Shack blends into the surroundings, making it a wonderfully secret and magical place. Oval inset windows, dormers, plantation shutters and pot shelves all add to the charm. Inside, a fold-out table handles snacks or games, and built-in shelves hold favorite books and puzzles. The turreted loft has commanding view, and tucked underneath is a cozy cubby with a hammock, perfect for daydreaming and reading.
Voices for Children; a court advocacy program helps children, abandoned by their families, through the court system.Local volunteers are recruited; screened and trained before taking an oath to become CASAs for the juvenile justice system. (There are more than 7,000 juvenile dependents in San Diego County alone). Once assigned they become mentors, friends and advocates for the children in their charge, working with legal representatives, social workers and families of the children assigned to them. CASAs make recommendations to the Juvenile Court Judge in formal reports and speak for the children in open court hearings, as they advocate for the best interest of each individual child they serve. It costs $1,000 per child per year to serve a child with a CASA. During the past year, Voices for Children served 3,335 children. To learn more about Voice for Children please call 619-569-2019.
Above information was taken from the BIA Cares for Kids 2002 Playhouse Fantasy Brochure.