Child Advocates
Carol Wellman-Zulfiqar has extensive experience in leadership and advocacy, currently serving on the Board of Trustees for Unity Truth Center, Inc. since June 2016 and as Chief Executive Officer for Indy Cool Suppliers since December 2014. Additionally, Carol is a Volunteer Advocate at The Center for At-Risk Elders, focusing on protecting vulnerable seniors, and holds the position of Market Coordinator at My Sisters Place, where fundraising efforts support programs for at-risk women. With a commitment to guardian reform, Carol is a member of the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse and volunteers as a CASA for Child Advocates. As an artist and entrepreneur, Carol leads ReCycle Sisters in promoting sustainable art, while also fulfilling the role of President for the Indiana Cyber Lions Club and former Executive Director of My Sister's Place. Academic qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Social Work specializing in Addictions and Mental Health from Indiana University Indianapolis and a BSW from Western Carolina University.
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Child Advocates
Child Advocates mobilizes advocate volunteers to break the vicious cycle of child abuse. We speak up for abused children who are lost in the system and guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. A judge appoints Child Advocates to represent the best interests of a child or sibling group in foster care. They serve as the judge’s eyes and ears while the children are in custody, ensuring their unique needs are met until they can safely return home or are permanently placed with a loving relative or adoptive family. Unlike Child Protective Services caseworkers and court-appointed attorneys who juggle overwhelming caseloads, our volunteers represent just one child or sibling group at a time. Their advocacy makes sure no child falls through the cracks of our overburdened child welfare system. Child Advocates volunteers make a profound difference in the lives of the children they serve. Studies show children served by an advocate volunteer are better able to work with others and control deviant behavior than children without an advocate. Also, more parents of these children complete counseling services, psychiatric evaluations, and drug and alcohol counseling than those without an advocate. With Child Advocates’ help, we can break the cycle of child abuse and give more foster children a chance at a better, brighter future.