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Cindy Booth, the longtime leader of Child Advocates Inc., will retire next year after 30 years with the nonprofit.
Child Advocates announced Booth’s retirement Wednesday. She will leave the organization in 2024, with a successor expected to be announced early in the year.
“Child Advocates has been a recognized leader in child welfare because of our experienced and compassionate staff, board, and volunteers,” Booth said in a news release. “It’s been a great privilege to have worked alongside such amazing colleagues throughout my career to create a better path for children.”
A 1991 graduate of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Booth joined Child Advocates as its first full-time staff attorney in 1994. She was named CEO in 1996 and has held that position for the last almost 28 years.
Announcing her retirement, the organization described Booth as leading it “through a transformational period of growth to serve the needs of children in the child welfare system in Marion County, as the court-appointed special advocate, and beyond.”
Under Booth’s leadership, Child Advocates has won local and national awards for its child advocacy efforts, according to the news release.
The nonprofit is viewed as a leader in advocating for direct representation of kids in the child welfare system. It recently launched a direct-representation practicum at the IU Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.
Child Advocates has also seen shakeups, including in the spring of 2021, when the city of Indianapolis switched its contract for court-appointed special advocate/guardian ad litem services from Child Advocates to Kids’ Voice of Indiana. At the time, Booth said the switch was surprising, but Child Advocates would continue in its efforts to serve kids.
Booth has been recognized individually, as well. In 2023, for example, she received the Champions of Diversity award from the Indiana Minority Business Magazine for her leadership in the creation of Child Advocates’ Interrupting Racism for Children program.
“Cindy’s contributions to Child Advocates have been invaluable,” Katherine Malarsky, chair of the Child Advocates board, said in the news release. “Her passion for helping children and families achieve their best outcomes across the state of Indiana has been amazing to watch. I look forward to helping celebrate Cindy in the coming days — her legacy and contributions should be praised and honored.”
Judge Geoffrey Gaither of the Marion Superior Court Family Division described Booth as “such a force for change, equality, inclusion, and thoughtfulness for many years. … A fierce advocate of children and families who face systemic opposition, many will never know about her grace, dignity, and ferocious appetite for improving the quality of life for the least of us.”
Judge Ryan Gardner, also of the court’s Family Division, said the impact of Booth’s work “will be felt for generations to come. In my view, she is a living legend and a giant in our community.”
The Child Advocates board has appointed an Executive Transition Task Force and has hired Taylor Advising to assist in the search for Booth’s successor. Information about that process will be available at childadvocates.net.
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