2010 NATIONAL CHILD ADVOCACY AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED

Kathy Bigsby Moore of Voices for Children in Nebraska recognized

WASHINGTON, DC – Voices for America’s Children, the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy groups, will award the 2010 Florette Angel Memorial Child Advocacy Award to Kathy Bigsby Moore, executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, for her exceptional work on behalf of children and families in Nebraska.

Moore will receive the award during the Voices for America’s Children annual conference, where child advocates from across the country will convene in Berkeley, California from June 23-25. Voices for Children in Nebraska is a member of Voices for America’s Children.

Moore has been a prominent voice in child advocacy, serving as a foster parent herself in the 1970s and then helping to pen the legislation to create the State Foster Care Review Board in Nebraska in the early 1980s. Before establishing Voices for Children in Nebraska, Moore directed the Family Violence Project and the Special Needs Adoption Project for the Child Saving Institute in Omaha. She also served on the steering committee that formed Voices for America’s Children (originally known as the Association of Child Advocates when founded in 1985) and served on its original board of directors prior to starting Voices for Children in Nebraska.

As executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, Moore has lead the organization to such advances as the creation of a new health coverage program for 130,000 Nebraska children and the restructuring of many of the juvenile justice services in Nebraska.

“Under Kathy’s leadership, Voices for Children in Nebraska has developed linkages between services for abused children and adult victims of domestic violence, helped divorce and custody proceedings better address the needs of children and increased opportunities for families to escape poverty. She is an inspiration to me and many other child advocates nationwide,” Bill Bentley, president and CEO of Voices for America’s Children, said.

“As an elected official, I always relied on Kathy for excellent information, great insight and good advice,” said Nancy Thompson, former Nebraska state senator. “She was instrumental in helping me pass bills, secure needed funding and build public support for children’s issues.”

“Kathy is a beacon in Nebraska for those who advocate for children,” said Pam Baker, executive director of Woods Charitable Fund, Inc. “I respect and value her work and her leadership.”

Founded in 1987 by Kathy Bigsby Moore, Voices for Children in Nebraska educates and motivates Nebraskans to take action to better the lives of Nebraska’s vulnerable children in the areas of health, education, safety and economic stability. The organization is widely recognized across the state and revered as the trusted expert and advocate for key children’s issues in Nebraska.

As a girl, Florette Angel saw crosses burned onto the front lawn of her family’s home in Louisiana after her parents resisted community pressure to fire a black employee. Having learned the importance of giving voice to society’s most vulnerable, she dedicated her career to communicating their needs. The Florette Angel Memorial Child Advocacy Award is given annually in her honor.

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As the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy groups, Voices for America’s Children (Voices) has been on the forefront of every major child policy victory for the past quarter-century.  With 60 members nationwide, Voices mobilizes and advocates for public policies to improve the lives of all children, especially those most vulnerable, throughout the United States. Visit us at www.voices.org.

Voices is a founding member of the Children’s Leadership Council, a coalition more than 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations. www.childrensleadershipcouncil.com.