Child Advocates
Joy Reading is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in both advocacy and the culinary arts. Currently serving as a Senior Advocacy Coordinator at Child Advocates since December 2017, Joy previously honed culinary skills in various pastry roles, including Pastry Chef at Holly Hall Retirement Community and Pastry Sous Chef at GRAND HYATT DFW. Early career experience includes positions as Lead Pastry Cook at Craft Dallas, Pastry Cook at Hotel du Pont, and Baker's Assistant at Dough Boy's Bakery. Joy holds an Associate's degree in Baking and Pastry Arts from The Culinary Institute of America and a Bachelor of Science in Business/Hospitality Management from the University of Phoenix.
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.