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)
- Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination status. To be considered fully vaccinated, individuals must have received all doses of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
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. Check back after July 1 for updated site needs and the upcoming local training dates.
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.
Current Volunteer Needs by Location
We have an upcoming virtual Volunteer Child Advocate Training on June 28–29, 2025. While this training is open to applicants from all the offices listed, it is especially designed for those who do not live near one of our physical sites and are unable to attend an in-person session. Our needs are as follows:
Chicago, IL (Serving Illinois, Georgia, and Tennessee)
We are seeking volunteers who speak Spanish, French, Pular, or Indigenous languages of Guatemala. Children we serve are located in Cook County (IL), as well as in Fulton and DeKalb Counties (GA), and Davidson County (TN).
Grand Rapids, MI
Our Grand Rapids office is looking for volunteers who speak Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic, and French. We are currently serving children in Kent, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Gratiot, and Ingham Counties in Michigan.
Harlingen, TX
We are actively seeking Spanish-speaking volunteers to support children in Willacy, Cameron, and Nueces Counties in Texas.
Houston, TX
Our Houston office is in need of volunteers who speak Spanish and Indigenous languages. We are currently serving children in Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Chambers, Austin, and Colorado Counties in Texas.
Los Angeles, CA (Serving CA, WA, and OR)
We welcome volunteers who speak Spanish, French, Dari, or Arabic. Children are located in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, including Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. We also support children in Seattle (WA), Portland (OR), and Alameda County (CA).
New Jersey
We are recruiting Spanish-speaking volunteers across all counties in New Jersey. No matter where you live in the state, we may have opportunities for you to support a child!
New York City, NY
Volunteers who speak Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, or Arabic are especially needed. We are working with children in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County, New York.
Phoenix, AZ (Serving the Phoenix Metropolitan area and Tucson)
We are currently seeking volunteers who speak Spanish, French, Pular, Arabic, Wolof, or Indigenous languages. We’re especially looking for individuals located in the East Valley of the Phoenix metro area and in the Tucson area.
San Antonio, TX
We are looking for Spanish-speaking volunteers in Bexar and Dallas Counties, Texas.
Washington D.C. (Serving D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida)
We are currently seeking volunteers who speak Spanish, French/Creole, or Indigenous languages of Central America. Volunteers are needed in Northern Virginia (including Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties), as well as in parts of Pennsylvania (such as Dauphin and Bucks Counties) and Florida (including Miami-Dade and Broward Counties). An in-person Volunteer Child Advocate training will be held in Washington, D.C. on September 13–14, 2025.