Founder of Voices for Children Receives Lead Award

Kathryn Ashworth continues her work as a CASA.

Kathryn Ashworth, Esq., co-founder of Voices for Children, received the 2012 Community Spotlight Award at LEAD’s annual Visionary Awards ceremony at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Ashworth was one of eleven finalists from throughout the San Diego nonprofit community, and her award was announced at the event.

Voices for Children was launched in 1980 when two crusading young women — a USD law student, Kathryn Ashworth, and a social worker, Elizabeth Bacon — set up a desk in the hallway of the San Diego County Juvenile Court, recruiting friends and Junior League members to review files of children who had been placed under court jurisdiction because of parental abuse or neglect. Their goal as volunteer advocates was to help the judges make the best decisions for children who had no one to speak up for them. The group embraced the volunteer advocate model created in Seattle in 1977, joined the National CASA Association, and began training CASAs.

Voices for Children has since grown from an inspired idea by a few dedicated citizens to one of the oldest, largest, most-respected, and best-managed CASA organizations in the country. As a symbol of dedication of our CASA program, Ashworth continues her work as a CASA and recently celebrated the adoption of one of her case children. She carries on the legacy of her late co-founder, Bacon, and inspires all the VFC volunteers with her commitment.

Ashworth was a founding member of the San Diego law firm Ashworth, Blanchet, Christenson & Kalemkiarian; she retired in 2002. Mrs. Ashworth continues to lecture on family law issues including child advocacy for community and national organizations such as the San Diego County Bar Association, Continuing Education of the Bar, National Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Voices for Children.

Category: Education