2011 National Child Advocacy Award Winner Announced

Joan L. Benso, head of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, to be honored

WASHINGTON – Voices for America’s Children, the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy groups, will award the 2011 Florette Angel Memorial Child Advocacy Award to Joan L. Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, for her advocacy and activism on behalf of children and families in Pennsylvania.

“In Washington, DC, and across Pennsylvania, Joan is known by policymakers as a trusted, tireless voice for children,” said Bill Bentley, president and CEO of Voices for America’s Children. “She is a great asset to child advocates and especially to the children themselves, who are safer, better educated and healthier thanks to her work.”

During her 16-year tenure with Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, Benso has helped to achieve landmark state and federal investments in critical children’s programs such as child welfare, early learning, health care and public education, as well as tax policies that allow low- and moderate-income families to keep more of their wages to support their children.

“Joan Benso has been a tireless advocate for the children of Pennsylvania. I am grateful for her service and dedication over many years of working to improve the lives of children. She has been an invaluable resource to me and my staff as we work toward the common goal of creating a better future for the Nation’s children. I congratulate her on this tremendous accomplishment,” U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) said.

Voices will honor Benso with the award at a ceremony held during its 2011 conference, America’s Kids: America’s Future: Building the Children’s Movement, annual conference, June 22-24 in Memphis. The conference is sponsored by United Healthcare Community Plan.

Voices established the award in 1993 in honor of Florette Angel, an activist whose research-oriented and advocacy for social justice serves as a model for the group’s work. This award is annually bestowed by Voices on the chief executive officer of a member organization who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, perceptive organizational vision, innovative advocacy, and effective service on behalf of children and their families.

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As the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy organizations, Voices for America’s Children (Voices) has been on the forefront of every major child policy victory for the past quarter-century. With 62 members nationwide, Voices speaks up for kids, and 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 of more than 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations. www.childrensleadershipcouncil.com.