Volunteer Child Advocate Interest Form

Thank you so much for your interest in becoming a Volunteer Child Advocate!

Due to the nature of our work and the extensive contact Volunteer Child Advocates have with children and adolescents, Young Center requires all Volunteer Child Advocates to:

Be at least 21 years of age
Commit to serving as a Volunteer Child Advocate for at least 12 months
Submit all required application materials
Complete an interview with a Volunteer Coordinator
Attend and complete all aspects of the Volunteer Child Advocate Training
Submit to and pass FBI and State Criminal Background Checks
Sumit to and pass Child Abuse and Neglect Registry checks for all states they have lived in during the last five years.
Provide results of a tuberculosis test (results must be negative)
Volunteer Coordinators will review completed applications and will reach out to qualified individuals with more information. Although we cannot respond to all application submissions, we keep them on file for reference. All sites offer in-person trainings twice a year—once in the fall and once in the spring.

Not sure where you fit in? We still encourage you to apply. We’ll review your information and be in touch if opportunities align with your location and background.

Still exploring whether this is the right fit for you? Join one of our upcoming information sessions! Our staff will share more about the Young Center, the role of a Volunteer Child Advocate, requirements to get started, and answer any questions you may have.

National Volunteer Information Sessions

November 3, 5:00 PM PST | 7:00 PM CT | 8:00 PM ET – Register Here

November 11, 12:00 PM PST | 2:00 PM CT | 3:00 PM ET – Register Here

Training Dates and Site Needs

Chicago, IL

Serving Illinois (Lake County, Des Plaines, Naperville, Bolingbrook), Georgia (Duluth, Palmetto, Lawrenceville), Indiana (Indianapolis, East Chicago) and Colorado (Denver).

Training Dates: April 10-11, 2027
Application Deadline: February 28, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish, Quiche, K’iche, Mam.

Grand Rapids, MI

Serving all Michigan, specifically: Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo; and Cincinnatti, OH.

Training Dates: May 1-2, 2027
Application Deadline: April 19, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Central American Indigenous Languages

The children we serve: are located in Kent, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Ingham, Wayne, and Eaton Counties, Michigan.

Harlingen, TX

Training Dates: Nov. 7-8, 2026

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish.

The children we serve: are located in Willacy, Cameron, and Nueces Counties, Texas.

Houston, TX

Serving the Greater Houston Area: Downtown, Midtown Sunnyside, Cypress, Southwest Houston, Baytown, Manvel and Katy.

Training Dates: March 20-21, 2027
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish.

San Antonio, TX

Training Dates: September 26-27, 2026

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish

The children we serve: are located in Bexar, Ft. Worth, and Dallas Counties, Texas.

Los Angeles, CA

Serving Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, El Monte, Culver City, Chatsworth, Montebello, and Whittier.

Training Dates: March 13-14, 2027
Application Deadline: February 23, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish and Indigenous Languages (Mixteco, Quintal, K’iche)

Washington D.C.

Serving D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Training Dates: April 10 and 11, 2027
Application Deadline: March 19, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish, and Indigenous languages of Central America.

New York City, NY

Serving Poughkeepsie, The Bronx, Manhattan, Southern NJ, Greater NYC Area.

Training Dates: April 17-18, 2027
Application Deadline: April 7, 2027

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish and Indigenous Languages from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Phoenix, AZ

Training Dates: November 7-8, 2026

We are seeking volunteers who speak: Spanish; indigenous Guatemalan languages such as Q’eqchi’/Kekchi, Mam, and Quiche; Tzotzil; and Russian.

The children we serve: are located in the Central and East Valley of the Phoenix metro area and in Tucson.

Sign up to be a volunteer here!

First Name

Last Name

Preferred Name (if different)

Pronouns

Mobile Phone

Personal Email

Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)

Current Employer (Company or Organization Name)

If you are unemployed. retired, or a student you can enter "N/A" in the textbox above.

Street Address

Why do we need your address? The Young Center has eight physical offices throughout the United States. However, we serve areas outside of our physical regions. Your address allows to better understand your location and whether it would be feasible for you to volunteer with us. We will not send you any mail without your consent.

City

State

ZIP Code

Select the Young Center office in your region:

Why do you want to serve as a Volunteer Child Advocate with the Young Center?

Please describe any experience you may have working or volunteering with underserved communities. Alternatively, please describe any volunteer work you have done.

Where did you hear about the Young Center?

If "Other", please elaborate:

Because Volunteer Child Advocates are expected to visit children in-person on a weekly basis, they must have access to reliable transportation. Do you have access to reliable transportation?

How many miles are you willing to travel to volunteer?

How many months can you commit to serving as a Volunteer Child Advocate?

How many hours (per month) can you dedicate to volunteering with the Young Center?

Please select all the languages you speak fluently (to select more than one language, please press CTRL while you click):

Please list all other languages you speak fluently:

Please select all the time frames for which you could be available to volunteer (to select more than one option, please press CTRL while you click):