Voices for Utah Children

History Irene Fisher, Executive Director of the anti-poverty organization Utah Issues, attended a national conference in 1983 sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), a national child advocacy organization. Irene was impressed with CDF's effectiveness as advocates for child care, child health, child nutrition, prevention of child abuse, and other problems that impacted children whose parents were least able to advocate for them. She believed that a similar state-level organization could play an important role in Utah with its young and vulnerable population. Utah Children was created in 1985 as an advocacy group that would not provide direct services, but would provide a voice for Utah children in public policy decisions.roz memorial 002 In 1988, Roz McGee became Utah Children’s first Executive Director and over the next 13 years she turned an organization with virtually no budget, no staff, and no history into a professional and powerful voice, fighting on behalf of children and families. We are so thankful for Roz. Her passion and vision has left an imprint on this organization and our staff that continues to inspire and guide our work. Roz’s spirit that won her the “Hell Raiser of the Year Award" for leading the charge for children in Utah continues to live in the hearts of the current generation of Hell Raisers here at Voices for Utah Children. In 2002, Utah Children became Voices for Utah Children. Today, we are recognized as a credible, nonpartisan, and forceful voice for children and families by policymakers, the media, and the public. The Spring 2007 issue of the "Stanford Social Innovation Review" called Voices for Utah Children "the state's best-known advocate for children's issues, and the go-to source for the media, state agencies, and elected officials on issues affecting children."