The past year has been transformative for Advocates for Children. From achieving milestones to expanding our impact, 2024 marked a year of growth and renewal as we prepared to launch 2025 with strength, purpose and an exciting brand refresh!
Our brand revitalization symbolizes more than a new look — it represents the dynamic evolution of our organization. The newness also extends to the organizational structure, our first year in a consolidated new facility, the construction of a new home for youth in foster care or experiencing homelessness, a new (and flawless) accreditation, a collaborative new office in Gordon County, a comprehensive new strategic plan to guide us through the coming 3 years, plus new partners, new outcomes for families, new visibility for the organization and new accolades.
After 41 years, Advocates for Children feels brand new.
Because of you, Advocates is helping more children, youth and families. Together, we are changing more lives, giving hope to more individuals and improving the communities in our Northwest Georgia 11-county service area.
This annual report will encourage you. With your support, we made a lasting impact on 26,000 individuals last year. As we move through 2025, your continued partnership will help us achieve even more significant strides in protecting children, guiding youth and uplifting families.
On behalf of everyone we serve, thank you for your unwavering support. You’re transforming lives.
RACHEL CASTILLO President + CEO
Board of Trustees
GLEN MERRITT Board Chair
Raymond James
SID ROWSER Chair-Elect
C&I Customer Service, Georgia Power Company
JERRY MAXWELL Treasurer
Controller, Gerdau Steel
ANDRE WEAVER Secretary
Assistant Superintendent, Cartersville City Schools
New Foundations Development, Inc. Calhoun Housing Authority
LAMONT KISER
Director | Bartow County Water
JOHN LAMPLEY
Sr. Pastor | Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church
DIERDRA LANIER
Owner | Summit Grading
JUD MCGIVAREN
Owner | RenovationX
CARRIE TROTTER
Attorney | Trotter Deems & King
*NANCY NEWMAN
Board Member Emeritus
Advocates for Children is BRAND new
After an extensive expansion in programming and facilities, Advocates for Children refreshed the brand to support vibrant growth. Holding on to the strengths of the past, the nonprofit is slightly updating the logo and presenting a new tagline, color pallet, fonts, service category names, program names and key messaging… all to simplify and fortify communications while raising awareness.
NEW MISSION STATEMENT:
Advocates for Children is an organization of dedicated, skilled professionals and compassionate volunteers committed to the well-being of children, youth and families. Through comprehensive advocacy and unwavering support, we strengthen our communities across Northwest Georgia.
Newman House was planned and constructed throughout 2024 to provide young clients with 14 private suites for emergency and longterm foster care. A large community living area, dropin center for unhoused youth, patio and outdoor area and community kitchen/dining area are included in a stateof-the-art facility near the Advocates campus. Opening Spring 2025.
Color Palette
by the Numbers
CAC
868 children and non-offending family members served
CASA
228 cases, including 164 in Bartow and 64 in Gordon 4,992 hours from 231 volunteers
YOUTH ACCOUNTABILITY
67 youths diverted from court with changed behavior
ADVOCACY +JUSTICE
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER (CAC)
The 11,000 people in the Bartow Spanishspeaking community now have a Bilingual Forensic Interviewer and Family Advocate. A 2024 grant provided a much-needed professional to guide non-English speaking clients through interviews and advocacy processes.
When children and youth make allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse, Advocates for Children is the first place they turn. The child, family, and legal systems rely on the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) for professional support with compassion during and following this crisis.
From the beginning, the reporting process is designed to be a single event overseen and pursued by a multidisciplinary team who includes law enforcement, medical personnel and child protective services. Additionally, well-trained family advocates provide ongoing support for the entire family.
In addition, the CAC serves as the forensic interview site for hundreds of children in sexual and physical abuse cases, neglect and witnesses to crime. All children have an investigative interview conducted by a trained forensic interviewer, and the session is recorded to reduce the need for the child to tell his or her complex account repeatedly.
Advocates also provides services to non-offending caregivers and other family members. Services include a needs assessment, referrals to various community resources, connection to the local victim’s rights agency and client education. Ongoing support wraps around the child and family throughout the investigation, intervention and treatment process. Medical and therapeutic referrals are also made as needed.
Opening a CASA office in Gordon County and extending our volunteer reach there was a highlight of the year.
Few things in life are more fulfilling than helping a child in need. Advocates for Children provides meaningful volunteer opportunities to support abused or neglected children in foster care through a national program called Court Appointed Special Advocates® (CASA). Welltrained volunteers are appointed by juvenile courts to be the voice of the children in the confusing and challenging world of court proceedings.
This best-interest advocacy makes a life-changing difference for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect, most of whom are in foster care. Our goal is to advocate for a safe, permanent home for each child.
CASA volunteers are the most intensely trained of Advocates’ volunteers, with more than 30 hours of class time and 10 hours of court observation, as well as experience with the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS), Juvenile Court and other related entities.
COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA)
YOUTH ACCOUNTABILITY (SKORE)
Expanding with an additional full-time case manager last year allowed us to increase the number of youth served, thanks to an added Juvenile Prevention and Intervention grant. Plus, the Yield grant provided funds to attend the Office of Juvenile Justice and Detention Prevention conference in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers, juvenile justice experts and youth with lived experience hosted powerful sessions, expanding our knowledge and passion for youth and community.
Advocates provides services to children and their families that assist them to access the resources needed to improve education and family dynamics. This effective diversion program is structured to hold youth accountable for their behaviors and empower them to change their lives.
The program is designed for youth ages 12 - 17 who have committed non-criminal acts considered a law violation because of their status as minors. Children and youth graduating from the program have their cases closed without an appearance before a judge and do not acquire a court record. Additionally, families are given a 90-day plan and resources to resolve family issues and keep children in school, out of detention, out of court and out of foster care.
by the Numbers
YOUTH INDEPENDENT HOUSING
118 individuals with $45,000 a month rent required to house homeless youth
RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH
64 youth diverted from homelessness
SAFE PLACE
303 Safe Places now established
19,578 students reached through Safe Place Outreach.
RESIDENTIAL
CHILDREN’S HOME
We consistently score an A+ on our compliance reviews.
HOUSING +STABILITY
YOUTH INDEPENDENT HOUSING (RISE)
Advocates made significant strides last year in expanding our reach and strengthening community connections with young people ages 18-24 who are experiencing homelessness. Our six counties of service now include a new office in Gordon County, a key step in broadening impact in a rural area and increasing access to resources for young people needing housing.
In addition, Advocates celebrated Youth Homelessness Month by hosting our first resource fair at the new office in Bartow County. This event allowed clients to connect with employment prospects and engage with community partners offering essential services and resources.
Our first landlord engagement meeting brought together current and potential partners to discuss strategies for expanding housing options. Our partners work with Advocates to further engage the community in support of young people facing homelessness.
Our success in housing homeless youth can be best understood through the story of one young family. A single-parent family evicted from their home included a sibling set. Advocates was able to keep the siblings together and provide resources for the family. We worked with the mom to transport the youth to and from school. In addition, we helped develop a crisis plan for one of the youth who was having mental health issues. The youth was able to follow an individualized service plan and had additional support when needed.
Nationally – and here in Georgia – the crisis of homelessness is escalating. After decades of improvement the problem has worsened in recent years. The State of Homelessness 2024 Edition shows that a record-high number of people experienced homelessness in 2023, more than a 12% increase from 2022. Data from the National Center for Homeless Education 2022 shows nearly 1.2 million children were either literally homeless (living in a shelter or in locations such as a car or tent) or doubled-up (sharing housing with friends or family).
These statistics are no surprise to the Advocates team, as we recognized this service gap and launched the Youth Independent Housing program in 2019 and the Family Resource Center in 2022. We have operated a children’s home since 1983, and manage hundreds of Safe Place sites in northwest Georgia where youth in danger can get immediate help.
SAFE PLACE
Through countless hours of collaboration, Advocates extended significant outreach in Cobb County, adding four stationary Safe Place sites and 120 additional mobile Safe Place sites. The new Safe Place sites include The Table on Delk, Cobb Works, Hilton Inn of Kennesaw and Cobb Linc Transit, all critical in assisting us in providing services to at-risk youth and families. In addition, Cobb Linc has awarded us the opportunity of being our first mobile transportation Safe Place site - so every bus is a safe place and will transport youth to a stationary site for immediate assistance.
Advocates manages 179 stationary sites in nine counties as part of the Safe Place national program, the first step for any youth in crisis or at risk to get immediate help. This vital community collaboration makes it possible for kids to access urgent assistance at locations throughout their community, including fast food restaurants, gas stations, fire stations, libraries, bus stops and grocery stores displaying the vibrant yellow and black Safe Place signs.
RESIDENTIAL CHILDREN’S HOME
(Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter now Newman House)
For years, Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter has been a safe haven for youth in foster care and those experiencing homelessness. As we continue our mission, we are excited to announce the completion of our largest 2024 project - Newman House.
A 14-suite youth residence for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth ages 7-21, Newman House (named for one of the organization’s founders) will support youth as they develop life skills to be empowered in living independently after our program.
With this capacity expansion, Advocates will provide the same high-quality care and support youth and families have always trusted.
When Ellie* reached out to Advocates’ Youth Independant Housing Program, she was experiencing the dark trauma of her mom’s death and the lack of local family support. She was in high school, attending classes and working while trying to continue living alone in her mother’s home.
After finding stable housing through Advocates, she graduated on time with honors and maintained employment while obtaining college scholarships. At Kennesaw State University she was accepted to the CARES program that provides year-round housing for students in need.
She is passing all her classes, living in housing on-campus, joining the school’s barbell team and running for senator of the college for construction and agriculture.
Ellie has a bright future and is deeply grateful to Advocates for allowing her to achieve ambitious goals. Her life is transformed.
DROP-IN CENTER FOR YOUTH IN CRISIS
An innovative program to provide emergency resources to youth in crisis was developed in 2024 to launch with the opening of Newman House. A designated entrance into a special area complete with shower, clothes closet, computer accesss, food and a case manager will be open daily.
Last year, 64 children were diverted from homelessness through Advocates’ effective program. More than 300 Safe Place sites refer youth in crisis to Advocates and now they will have an initial assessment in a place designed to provide security and safety for young people in danger of homelessness and other obstacles.
by the Numbers
FIRST STEPS AND IN-HOME PARENT EDUCATION
556 served with 93% demonstrating changed behavior
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
1,447 received basic needs and/or navigation services with 100% of navigation families still intact (no removal of children)
CHILD +FAMILY WELLBEING
FIRST STEPS (HOPE IN YOUR HOME)
To make communities safer and healthier for all children, Advocates professionals provide the national First Steps program to new moms at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center. Parent educators provide important support, parenting information, referrals and services to new mothers, maintaining contact with the parent for the next three months.
IN-HOME PARENT EDUCATION (HOPE IN YOUR HOME)
The year was full of countless stories of families helped by parent education who were given direct resources. Partnering with our Family Resource Center, we also provided safety education to keep children and parents together in their homes. Parents who were desperate to fix their relationships with their teens have learned to create healthier connections.
The Parents as Teachers program is a two-year program serving families with children prenatal to age three. Physical, social and emotional screenings as well as activity-centered lessons positively impact child development.
The Positive Parenting Program is open for parents with children up to age 16 to learn skills, strategies and confidence. With instruction and guidance from Advocates’ professional educators, families can create a positive, nurturing environment that allows the family to grow together.
the Hartman family story
Claire remarried, but her dream of how she pictured their new, blended family was not coming to life. Her ex-husband also remarried, and suddenly, her teenage daughter changed: apathy, anger, lying, defiance. In response, Claire was not the mom she wanted to be. She was yelling, short-tempered and feeling powerless.
After receiving parenting services and youth accountability services, the Hartmans are back on track. Claire and her daughter are becoming closer. Claire and her ex are coparenting, and their family is celebrating.
Her daughter has even started therapy, thanks to a referral from Parenting Education. Claire stopped by recently to thank the Advocates staff who helped her family when she felt like she had nowhere to turn.
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER (THRIVE)
During 2024, the Family Resource Center in Cobb County outgrew its initial space and began making plans to move to a larger facility. The new location will open in April and will be on the bus line and convenient to other nonprofit partners, allowing more families to be served. A second Family Navigator is doubling our client capacity and we are adding a Parent Educator. In addition, a Family Resource Center was opened in Bartow at our Prevention and Advocacy Center.
Families involved in the child welfare system often struggle in poverty, but have few options for stabilization. Unfortunately, parents who desperately want security for their families often have trouble accessing the resources they need. Sometimes, they face having their child or children removed.
At a Family Resource Center in both Bartow and Cobb counties, a Family Navigator helps with housing referrals and childcare solutions while providing much-needed items. Stabilizing families by providing concrete support also means working with community partners to meet immediate basic needs, such as adequate clothing, diapers, food and toiletries.
RAINBOWS FOR ALL CHILDREN
In the past year, 321 children have been helped through the process of healing from grief involving separation, divorce, death, illness and military deployment.
Facilitated locally by Advocates for Children, Rainbows the most extensive national nonprofit program dedicated to helping children heal from painful family transitions. Led by trained adult volunteers, Rainbows is a free program and available for children in grades K-12 in almost all schools in Bartow County and Cartersville City.
Children are not always able to express their feelings in words. In many situations, parents are suffering as well and may be unable to provide needed support. Consequently, grieving young people need a trustworthy, caring adult to guide them through grief in a confidential, safe setting.
the Watkins family story
For more than a year, The Family Resource Center has been a constant resource for the Watkins* family, working to provide wraparound support so they can stabilize. The Watkins family was referred to Advocates because of an investigation by Child Protective Services (CPS) in Cobb County. Watkins and her family shared one hotel room with twelve people, including her mother and sister, who has five children. The clients had many needs and required ongoing support to avoid having the children removed to foster care.
Working with a dedicated Family Navigator through frequent meetings focused on life skills and goals, the family received hotel assistance, food and partial car payments to ensure Watkins could drop her children off at school and get to work. Workforce resources led to employment and a steady income.
Today, thanks to her hard work and the comprehensive support she received, the CPS case is closed, and Watkins has secured an apartment for her family. Now she can focus on what matters most… caring for her children and a hopeful future.
Partnerships
An important step in 2024 was hiring a qualified coordinator to manage the many facets of volunteering at Advocates. Recruiting, onboarding, orientation and communications are being well organized as the nonprofit expands community involvement.
The volunteer program coordinates the recruitment of community members for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), client mentors, administrative support for the organization, tutoring for young people and organizing donations of food, clothing and toiletries. Advocates is also grateful for volunteers from corporate teams, internships, faith-based organizations and community groups.
Without donor support and partnerships, Advocates could not do the important work of restoring children, youth, young adults and families to a more hopeful life.
Our clients are deeply grateful for the generous individuals, businesses, civic organizations, faith-based organizations, government agencies and foundations.
Last year, our nonprofit received charitable donations from donors who contributed $2,002,108 (including grants) to support our life-changing programs. An additional $301,440 was contributed to the building fund for Newman House.
This annual report summarized thousands of lives touched. If you would like more information, our team is always happy to share information or provide a tour of areas of interest.
Volunteers
strong stewarship. Lastingimpact.
At Advocates for Children, every dollar we spend is an investment in protecting children, empowering youth and uplifting families. In FY24, we continued our commitment to financial stewardship, directing 73% of our expenses toward vital programs that provide safety, advocacy and support for children in need and expanding our services through the creation of the Newman House. With only 8% allocated to administration and 9% to development, we remain dedicated to maximizing impact while securing the resources necessary to grow our mission.
Thanks to our donors, partners and community, Advocates for Children is positioned for a sustainable and impactful future, ensuring every child we serve has the opportunity to thrive.
FY2024 INCOME $4,822,848
Coprorate
FY2024 EXPENSES $4,271,935
financials are unaudited and subject to change.
Advocates is devoted to protecting and caring for abused and neglected children in 11 Northwest Georgia counties.
Empowering children, teens, runaways and homeless youth with dedication and housing, the nonprofit also uplifts parents and assists struggling families. The result is life-transforming change as the Advocates team provides a path to stability and hope.
FULTON
COBB
CHEROKEE
PICKENS
GORDON
BARTOW
PAULDING
HARALSON POLK
FLOYD
DOUGLAS
Mission
Advocates for Children is an organization of dedicated, skilled professionals and compassionate volunteers committed to the well-being of children, youth and families. Through comprehensive advocacy and unwavering support, we strengthen our communities across Northwest Georgia.
Advocates for Children Regional Office for Prevention & Advocacy (All programs and Newman House children’s residential home)
827 Joe Frank Harris Parkway | Cartersville, GA 30120
Advocates for Children Cobb County Location (Family Resource Center, In-home Parenting, Runaway and Homeless Youth) 375 Franklin Gateway South | Marietta, GA 30067
Advocates for Children Gordon County Location (CASA, Runaway and Homeless Youth, Youth Independent Housing) 206 S. Wall Street | Calhoun, GA 30701
