R.I. Government Agencies | Privacy Policy |
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The mission of the Office of the Child Advocate is to protect the legal rights of children in State care and to promote policies and practices which ensure that children are safe; that children have permanent and stable families; and that children in out of home placements have their physical, mental, medical, educational, emotional and behavioral needs met.
Message From the Child Advocate
Children in state care face a number of challenges. Some have been voluntarily placed with the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) by their parents because they are in need of specialized services which their parents, through no fault of their own, are unable to provide. Some have come into state care through the juvenile justice system. Many have come into the care of the state because they have been abused and/or neglected. These children, like all children, need a safe, stable and permanent home in which they can be nurtured and encouraged to realize their full potential.
As Rhode Island Child Advocate, I am appealing to every branch of government, every resident, every business, every community organization, every institution of higher learning, every labor and trade organization and every faith community to harness the collective ability of Rhode Island to ensure that every child in Rhode Island has a caring, permanent, safe, and stable home in which to grow. Our children are our most precious resource and 
they deserve our care and protection. We must remove the barriers that prevent children from achieving permanency. We must develop effective strategies for addressing the social, behavioral and/or economic conditions which adversely impact families and result in increasing numbers of children needing child welfare services and care or entering the juvenile justice system. We must take appropriate and corrective steps whenever the Child Protective Service confirms an allegation of abuse or neglect.
I invite you to view this site with an expectation that you will be motivated to work on behalf of children by supporting policies which ensure that children have an adequate education, safe and affordable housing, safe communities in which to live, adequate and appropriate healthcare, and that their parents have employment opportunities to ably provide for their families. It is my hope that you will be inspired to join me and others who are committed to improving the child welfare system and identifying solutions to the problems which harm our children. Please feel free to contact the Office of the Child Advocate with your questions, comments and suggestions. Most importantly, I hope that you believe as I truly believe that every child is sacred.
The Child Advocate of the Month
Each and every child is precious, vulnerable and worthy of protection and care. The only way in which the welfare and safety of every child can be ensured is to encourage every citizen to honor their responsibility to support safe communities, effective schools, adequate and affordable healthcare, safe, decent and affordable housing and jobs which enable people to support their families.
Each month the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) will spotlight an outstanding individual in Rhode Island who has demonstrated a commitment to protecting and/or improving the lives of Rhode Island children. The OCA encourages you to recommend outstanding advocates for children. Please send via email your recommendation along with an explanation of how the person you are recommending has helped to better the lives of children. Your email should be sent to Malmeida@gw.doa.state.ri.us. The OCA looks forward to receiving your recommendations.