Become a Volunteer Child Advocate for Immigrant Children!

Did you know that on any given day, dozens of immigrant children are locked up at detention facilities near Staunton, Virginia? They may spend months, even years, separated from family, navigating the immigration detention system alone.

This is an opportunity for you to take action to help make sure that all children are treated with kindness and respect by becoming a volunteer with the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights. As a volunteer, you will be appointed as the Child Advocate (guardian ad litem) for an immigrant child in federal custody near Staunton, Virginia. The role of the Child Advocate is to meet one-on-one with a child at a local detention center (or virtually), play games and spend time together, learn that child's story over time, and help us advocate for the child with government officials. All of your work will be supported and supervised by a Young Center attorney. Through volunteering, you will have the opportunity to learn about the immigration process and build personal relationships with amazing children.

The first step to becoming a volunteer is completing our online interest form (copy and paste into browser): https://www.theyoungcenter.org/volunteer-child-advocate-interest-form 

We welcome volunteers from all cultures, professions, and social backgrounds. Volunteers must speak Spanish (if you have questions about your fluency level, please contact us) or an indigenous Mayan language (K’iche’, Mam, etc.). Volunteers must be at least 21, complete online modules, and participate in a live virtual two-day training, and be willing to submit a background check and child abuse registry check. Our next training will take place virtually on October 16-17. Please email Isabel George (Volunteer Coordinator) at igeorge@theyoungcenter.org for more information!

(Please note that the location listed is a general central location. Our administrative office is in Washington D.C., but volunteers' weekly visits take place at one of several facilities in Northern Virginia, Richmond, the Shenandoah Valley, Maryland, and West Virginia. Most visits with children are taking place virtually for the foreseeable future.)