Due to a multitude of circumstances, including abuse, trafficking, and poverty, thousands of Guatemalan children find themselves in the care of public and private orphanages. More than 100 private and public facilities throughout the country are responsible for children during their court processes, some until adulthood.
Although we wish every child in our home could be reunited with their families in a safe and happy home or placed with a loving, adoptive family, we know that reunions and adoptions are not always possible. In the meantime, we fight for the best interests of our kids.
Meet Jessica
In 2013, we welcomed Jessica onto our team. Her friendly personality and big heart for everyone quickly cemented her place in our home. Originally, Jessica was a member of our missions program, assisting in project planning and hosting visitors. Her warm personality brought a comfortable spirit to our program, making visitors, community members, our children, and fellow staff members feel welcomed, seen, and loved in her presence.
While working with our missions program, Jessica was also balancing her university law classes. She was an employee by day and student by night, weekend, and work break.
With her degree in hand, we were excited to help Jessica grow into a new role at Dorie’s Promise. For the last several years, she’s represented us as our Legal Assistant, specializing in managing the court proceedings for our children.
Her experience working in communities, her love of our children, and her law degree make her the perfect person to represent our children well.
Jessica’s role
Depending on the situation, multiple government agencies are involved in each child’s case. Jessica’s role is to coordinate the various court appointments, documentation, and requirements for all of our children. She can tell us the current status of every child, whether through temporary foster care or permanent placement, as well as their case history and case goals.
For some of our children, this may mean monitoring ongoing legal cases to prosecute those who may have abused our children. For others, they are working towards family reunification and Jessica helps arrange and monitor family visits, always looking for the best way to give our children the home they deserve with a loving family.
Each child’s situation is very different, so having a dedicated staff member who focuses on their cases frees our other staff members to emphasis caring for our children’s immediate needs and future.
Most importantly, Jessica is one of our children’s most passionate advocates. When not on-duty, Jessica can often be found spending time with our children, talking about what’s happening in their lives, and taking them on special outings. She’s a defender, confidant, and friend.
Jessica’s love for our children shines through in her tireless work on their behalf. Fighting for their best interest is her life’s work. Thank you, Jessica, for loving our children as your own and fighting for their futures.