About this campaign
Children are natural truth-tellers. When they are invited to share their perspectives, they offer clarity, honesty, and insights that can shift how adults see a situation. Research shows that when children’s voices are included, they adjust more successfully to change and carry a stronger sense of agency into adulthood.
Founded in 2022, Child’s Voice Project (CVP) ensures that children are not left out of the decisions that shape their lives. We believe listening to children is a powerful way to strengthen families, improve systems, and build resilience for the future.
CVP is beginning this work in the courts. Every year, over 1 million children in the U.S. are affected by divorce and custody cases, with an additional 3 million children at the center of a child welfare system response. Yet children’s voices and perspectives are often not included directly in the process.
CVP is working to change this by making client-directed legal representation the standard in every court in the country. Through this approach, the child is asked meaningful questions about what is important to them, and the child's preferences are presented to the judge and incorporated into legal decisions which impact their lives and futures.
With your support, we can train more legal professionals in child-centered practices, expand our Child Advocate Attorney pilot program, deepen the research base that proves its impact, and drive the policy changes needed for adopting client-directed legal representation nationwide. Because when children are heard, cases are resolved faster, outcomes improve, and families can move forward with greater stability.
Your gift helps set a new standard for child agency that will stand alongside historic milestones such as child labor regulation, universal public education, and juvenile justice reform. Together, we can mark another defining moment when society recognizes that children deserve protection, respect, and voice.