Incentives offered for foster parents
Nonprofits step up child placement efforts
With schools back in session and more eyes on kids, child advocates were bracing for a flood of abuse and neglect reports.
Two months into the school year, that hasn’t happened: The number of new kids entering Arizona’s foster-care system in September was down 22% compared with a year ago, Department of Child Safety data shows.
Still, DCS is straining to find beds for these children, sending out weekly notices to licensed foster parents in Maricopa County to let them know the age and gender of children needing immediate placement.
Meanwhile, a group of nonprofits working under the banner of One4AllAZ has stepped up to offer incentives for first-time foster parents, from gift cards to groceries to next-day appointments for needed medical and counseling sessions.
It’s a result of the continued decline in licensed foster homes: There are currently 3,255 homes, an 11% drop compared with this time last year and down 33% from the recent high-water mark of 4,875 homes in 2017.
Foster parents give myriad reasons for leaving: They decided to adopt, or the children in their care were reunified with their parents, or they are unhappy with the system.
In other instances, foster parents may put their licenses on hold due to vacations or the need to take a break. That further reduces the number of available beds.
‘If you step up ... we want to help’
As of the first week of November, DCS was looking for immediate homes for nine children: two groups of three siblings each, including an infant, and three girls. The agency tries to keep brothers and sisters together, but large groups are often difficult to place.
Eying this, Kris Jacober reactivated One 4 All AZ, an alliance of support groups that banded together in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to help foster families.
“We want to make sure families who take in new children get what they need to get through the holidays,” said Jacober, chief executive of the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation. “If you step up this time of year, we want to help you.”
Offering a safe space
Nicole and Jesus Becerra were among the nearly five dozen families that took that step.
“These little kiddos, they go through so much,” Nicole Becerra said.
The little boy they added to their household in early October had been staying at DCS’ placement center for about a week, she said.
He would have been there longer, because of a COVID-19 induced quarantine, except the Becerras had the necessary personal protective equipment and the ability to keep the boy isolated from other children in their household. To them, it was important to give the boy a home.
“What we all take for granted is missing
for these kiddos — a warm, comforting home,” Nicole Becerra said.
Although no strangers to foster care — the Becerras have cared for numerous foster children over the past five years and as of Friday will have adopted two of them — the hand up from the charities has been a game changer, Nicole Becerra said.
“Within 24 to 48 hours, my emails were swarmed with responses,” she said, after filling out the application on the One 4 All AZ website.
Providers from the 12 nonprofits that make up the group wanted details on her needs; they can provide everything from car seats to school supplies to support group information for both parents and children.
One provider wanted to know the little boy’s favorite color; another asked if he had a birthday nearing, as their organization provides birthday gifts.
Program has pandemic roots
One for All AZ started in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when many of the nonprofits that provide support to foster families were closed for health concerns.
Jacober set up a website as a virtual entryway to these organizations, allowing them to continue to distribute the material goods they usually provide. With the late summer crunch in the need for more foster placements, Jacober sized up the situation and pitched in.
“You know, we’ve got to do something about this,” she said.
The One for All AZ website was an obvious solution, so Jacober helped reenergize it in the hopes of attracting more people to become foster parents. As of early November, 55 families had received help with their new charges through the combined effort.
With the holidays approaching, numerous organizations are ramping up events to provide for foster children. On Nov. 6, the West Coast-based Ticket to Dream Foundation teamed up with a Famous Footwear store in Gilbert to give a free pair of shoes to 65 foster children.
The nonprofits involved with One for All AZ are Arizona-based and include Arizona Helping Hands, Helen’s Hope Chest, More Than a Bed and Three Precious Miracles. A full list is on the One for All AZ website, https:// one4allaz.com/.
A chance to ease trauma
Becerra, a mother of 10 biological children, said she understands the many reasons people shy away from foster care. The biggest drawback, she believes, is wariness about what to expect. But, she said, if there’s a glimmer of interest, people should explore it.
“Yes, trauma can be scary,” she said, referring to the emotional state of many of the children brought into state care. “But you can be a big part of easing that trauma. It’s worth taking that leap and trying. If you have the spark, go with it.”
Foster parents, as well as relatives who take kinship placements, can make requests for help at One4AllAZ.com or by calling 602-252-9445.
Interested in becoming a foster parent? There are numerous agencies in Arizona that license foster homes. Information is available at https://dcs.az.gov/foster or by calling 1770-KIDS-NEEDU.