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Voices For Children
At the Desert Business Association, we are proud to spotlight community leaders whose work strengthens and protects our most vulnerable neighbors. This month, we are honored to feature Brianna Miller (she/her/hers) of Voices for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth experiencing foster care.
Brianna has worked with Voices for Children since its inception more than 11 years ago. Prior to that, she served with the nonprofit that previously operated the local Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, bringing deep experience and continuity to her role.
Voices for Children matches trained volunteer CASAs with children in foster care. They, in turn, provide consistent support, advocacy, and a trusted voice during critical moments in a child’s life. Brianna plays a key role in ensuring these programs remain strong, effective, and rooted in compassion.
Inspired by role models who lead with kindness and authenticity, including her long-term admiration for Dolly Parton, Brianna brings heart, integrity, and dedication to everything she does. Her work is a powerful reminder of how advocacy, empathy, and community can change lives.
We asked Brianna a few questions in order to get to know about VFC better:
Tell us a little bit about Voices for Children and what makes it unique in the Coachella Valley?
Co-founded in 1980 by two volunteers, a law student and a social worker. They, along with the group of friends they enlisted to help, reviewed and summarized the files of all the children in San Diego County foster care to help judges make better-informed decisions. In August 2014, VFC was asked by the local judiciary to expand into Riverside County.
VFC is the only agency authorized by the courts to provide CASA volunteers in Riverside County, including the Coachella Valley.
How does VFC support or engage with the LGBTQ+ community and the greater Coachella Valley?
We are committed to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care and to providing them with exceptional support through the advocacy of our specially trained CASA volunteers. In addition to being a member of DBA, Voices for Children partners with The Roost, Dinner with Patsi, and GED Magazine for annual fundraising events.
We are proud to have earned the Innovative Inclusion Tier of Recognition through the Human Rights Campaign every year since 2021.
What has been one of your biggest learning experiences as a non-profit leader?
In both my fundraising and recruitment efforts, I have learned not to be discouraged when I'm told "no," but to be grateful for the "yeses"-all the individuals, businesses, and organizations that support our mission.
What advice would you give to someone starting a non-profit today, especially in our region?
Take the time to get to know the local community – its strengths, its needs, its residents. Growing your business, whether it’s for profit or nonprofit, is contingent upon the relationships you build.
Where do you see VFC in the next five years?
We’ve experienced year-over-year growth since our inception in 2015. By 2030, we hope to hit the milestone of serving over 1,000 children with a CASA volunteer.
Why is being part of the Desert Business Association important to you?
It’s important that our volunteer demographics accurately represent the youth we serve. According to the Human Rights Campaign, approximately one out of every three youth in foster care is LGBTQ+. DBA provides various platforms for VFC to connect with members of the LGBTQ+ community who will hopefully commit to becoming a CASA and provide transformative advocacy and support for local children in foster care.
Coffee, tea, or something stronger?
Tea in a Voices for Children mug, of course.
Connect With Voices for Children
To learn more about how you can support youth in the foster care system:- SpeakUpNow.org
- briannam@speakupnow.org
- (951) 472-9300
