Voices for Children, which provides youth in foster care with volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), announced that the Voices for Children Riverside County 2025 CASA of the Year is Sun City resident and Torrance Police Sergeant Ron Salary. He was recognized at a special event in Riverside.

Founded in 1980, Voices for Children transforms the lives of children in foster care by providing them CASAs. The volunteers – trained and supported by Voices for Children – advocate for youth in court, school, medical settings, and more to ensure their needs are met. Over time, a CASA often becomes the most consistent adult in the life of a child in foster care. Voices for Children, which recently celebrated 10 years of operation in Riverside County, has served nearly 2,000 local children in foster care with CASAs since 2015.

Each year, the organization honors an extraordinary volunteer who has gone above and beyond in advocating for youth living in foster care. Ron was chosen for his outstanding commitment to his current case youth in his transition to adulthood.

Ron Salary has been a CASA since April 2023. Later that year, he accepted the life-changing case of a 15-year-old boy who had experienced the passing of his adoptive father, leaving him without a stable home or guardian. He was moved around between relatives for some time, but experienced abuse and neglect in these homes on top of grieving his father. However, his life changed when he met Ron. Ron immediately began to build rapport with the boy, visiting him at least twice a month, and recognized that he had significant potential. He focused on identifying his strengths and finding ways to help him experience joy and develop lifelong skills.

Ron’s nomination for the honor of CASA of the Year focused on the many ways he has gone above and beyond for the young man:

• Ron writes detailed court reports and advocates before the judge on behalf of his youth, so he can have everything he needs to succeed– whether it’s funding for his activities, a math tutor, driving lessons, or a bike to help him get home quickly after events.
• During his visits with the youth, Ron enables him to experience activities he may not have had access to previously, including attending professional theater productions.
• He is present for critical moments in his youth’s life, attending his Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, activities, and award ceremonies, consistently striving to be present for him. He even encouraged him in getting a part-time job.
• Ron has stepped up to help his case youth organize everything he needs to obtain his driver’s license.
• Ron has been critical in helping the case youth maintain a bond with a longtime family friend who has expressed interest in giving the youth a permanent home.

Ron’s presence has made a world of difference in the life of his case youth, who will graduate from high school this year and has already been accepted to several four-year universities.

“Ron deserves to be honored for his outstanding commitment to the young man he serves, and all he has done to support and champion him,” said Voices for Children’s President & CEO Jessica Muñoz, Esq. “Despite his busy schedule as a law enforcement professional, he has shown up in such an incredible way for this young man and set him up for success. His follow-up with the court, the school system, and all of the stakeholders in his case youth’s life is above and beyond. We are so fortunate to have Ron on our team of dedicated CASA volunteers and warmly congratulate him on being named CASA of the Year for 2025.”

The advocacy of CASA volunteers is vital to promoting the health and safety of children and youth in foster care. Children in foster care have often experienced abuse and neglect. Foster care placement compounds their already challenging circumstances with court hearings, social workers, attorneys, new homes, and new schools. A CASA like Ron can, over time, become a hopeful presence in a child’s life and the person who the child knows is always there to listen. Ron is not only focused on the best interests of his case child, but also advocates for him effectively, ensuring no detail is missed.

“It is the honor of my life to serve as a CASA, and I am humbled and grateful to receive the CASA of the Year award,” said Ron. “I cannot even put into words how positive of an experience it is to be a CASA. It is incredible what one child can achieve with the right support and care. All children in the foster care system deserve someone who will speak up for their interests. As a CASA, I celebrate my youth’s successes as if they were my own–and I highly encourage anyone who is considering it to volunteer. All you need to do is show up consistently as you are, because Voices for Children will make sure that you have all the tools you need to do this important work.”

There are currently 130 children in the Riverside County foster care system on Voices for Children’s waitlist for a CASA volunteer. Voices for Children is currently in high need of male CASAs and volunteers from diverse communities, especially those who speak Spanish.  To learn more about the valuable work of CASA volunteers and take action to make a difference, visit speakupnow.org.