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Welcome to.

Or isn't there a weekly series where we take a look at current issues through a Hispanic lens?

I'm your host, Catherine Anaya.

1 in 3 children in foster care in Arizona is Latino.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety reports there are more Hispanic youth aged 0 to 17, experiencing the foster care system than any other ethnicity.

Of the 8503 kids currently in foster care.

2709 of them are Hispanic children.

Here to talk more about what's behind those numbers is Luis dela Cruz.

He is the CEO of Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.

That's a nonprofit organization that supports children in foster care.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks for having me.

I have admired your work, so I'm anxious to talk more about that.

But let's talk about the numbers first.

1 in 3 children in foster care in Arizona are Latino.

Is that number growing?

And what does that tell you?

Yeah, I think, you know, the numbers don't tell the full story, but it certainly helps us really understand part of the problem.

I think what we see is particularly when you look at some other numbers in outlying counties.

If you look at the number of children in places like, Yuma County, 80 to 90% are Hispanic.

Of the total children in that county, 80 to 90% are Hispanic.

1 in 3, are in the system.

And I think that's a powerful story to tell because it helps us understand what kinds of solutions we should be crafting.

The other piece I think that is really important to understand is what is driving these numbers.

The contributing factors, if you look at the number of kids that come into the system, about 97 to 98% come in because of neglect.

Neglect oftentimes is very deeply tied to poverty.

So how do you address that.

How do you begin to address that.

Because that goes back numbers of years.

It's not just a recent phenomenon.

Yeah.

It's first of all acknowledging the connection, the connection that 97% are coming in for the reason of neglect, not abuse, urban abandonment, but neglect.

And understanding that the level of financial and economic distress that our communities might be facing might be impacting the numbers that that end up being in the system or being or experiencing the system.

And I think that's an important lens.

So tell me a little bit about how your organization addresses, not just that problem for our Latino children, but the other factors that contribute to the number of children.

You know, across the board in the foster care system here in Arizona.

Yeah, I mean, absolutely.

So when we think about the work that we do at the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, we we think about the grandmother might be living on a fixed Social Security income that might have taken, their grandchild to avoid that child, coming into the system and maybe living in a group home.

We think about that fixed income.

We think about that when a child is removed and placed in a setting, whether it be with grandma or a licensed foster care home, they get, you know, $19 a day.

And one of our programs tries to address that.

It tries to address the notion that, every child should experience a moment of joy, particularly if you're experiencing extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

So one of our programs address is that it helps, people like grandma, like abuela, ensure that that child can stay with her and that that child can live those very important moments of joy and normalcy that, they deserve.

That support is so critical, especially for the abuela and abuela's.

Talk to me a little bit about the children themselves.

You have these programs.

You alluded to one of them, helping these children in foster care meet some of the needs and the access that you wouldn't even think of if you're not aware of what happens in the foster care system.

They cannot access sports.

They cannot access sometimes even field trips.

Tell me about how you address those issues so that children have the same access to these things that are so important to their development.

Absolutely.

I mean, for for starters, I, we were talking a little bit about this.

I've got two kids, and I know that it takes more than that $19 a day to be able to meet their basic needs.

It takes a lot more to give them the joy that they deserve.

And and this foundation really started with that premise of how do we develop an organization that can address those critical gaps that kids are experiencing in the very human essence?

And, and one of the ways that we do that is by making sure that we're accessible.

So through this program, we're able to serve anybody, across a state that has access to a mailbox, because that's the way that we've designed the service so that we can reach and eliminate barriers to be able to get the help that you need.

And so we're very proud of that work.

And it's one of the three things that we do.

But it's a very important thing.

It is a very important thing filling that gap for these children.

This is your work very personal.

Yes.

Because you did grow up in the foster care system.

Tell me how that has influenced how you lead this organization.

Yeah, I think you know my time in the system.

I aged out of the system.

And we'll talk a little bit about maybe, how our our work in that, aging out, category.

But for me, it is personal.

And being able to have lived experience really helps me focus and stay anchored on the things that matter.

It helps me tell the story that, might resonate with community, that might activate community that perhaps 8000 kids today can't tell.

And, I think that's a really powerful thing.

And in some instances, being able to share these kinds of spaces.

If one and three, kids are Latino, well, I am a Latino myself, and I can speak to those people in, in a language that they understand.

In space.

Does that matter?

I'm so glad that we are touching on aging out of the system, because I don't think a lot of people, or maybe enough people, are aware that when a child turns 18, they're no longer in the system.

And what happens to them.

So how do you make sure that, number one, they have the tools necessary to survive on their own, but to to make sure that they do.

Yeah.

So one of our flagship programs, Keys to Success, it targets, young people ages 16 to 26.

Some of them are getting ready to age out.

Some of them have already aged out every year.

In the state, approximately 1000 kids will age out of the system.

They'll turn 18 and they'll be done.

What happens with them?

Right.

If you look at the number of people in our communities experiencing homelessness, you'll see that about two.

And for, experienced foster care, you'll see that many of them are underemployed, undereducated.

And when we think about that, we designed this program with that level of intentionality to say, if you're getting ready to age out of the system, we want you to pursue the beauty of your dreams.

But we acknowledge that before you can do that, you need a baseline.

And through this program, we work with approximately 600 kids across three counties Maricopa, Pima and Yavapai.

To help them achieve self-sufficiency.

That's the name of the game.

It's stable housing.

It's baseline education.

High school diploma or GED.

And being able to get and keep a job.

Once you have that stability in life, then, there is no end to that potential.

You talked about the importance of putting a face to these stories and sharing these stories.

Obviously, your story is, you know, something that everybody needs to know.

But when you are looking at these stories and making sure the community is aware of these success stories, is there one in particular that stands out for you?

There.

There's probably too many to, to, uplift.

You know, one of the things that I love about our organization is that the same people that we serve work at our place.

That says a lot.

And and in fact, you know, we talked a lot about this childhood activities program that served kids, through through a program across the state that, helps address that gap, those moments of joy that program is ran by one individual that, was a participant of our program.

She's been with the foundation for close to a decade, and she runs that thing like a fine wheel machine.

And she's very proud of the work that we do.

So when I think about success stories, I don't necessarily think about accolades or titles, but I think about people that have a break and have broken that cycle and that come back and give back.

Well, that speaks volumes to to how the organization is impacting, these young people while they're involved and they're in the foster care system that they come back and they want to give back.

Speaking of giving back, you know, how can the community rally in support of what you're doing for the large numbers of children in the foster care system?

Whether we're talking about making contributions or perhaps somebody who might be considering becoming a foster parent.

Well, what I would say is, as you and I are having this conversation, there are 900 kids who need a home right now.

And so if you've got the the space in your home and in your heart, to open up that home to one of those children, you should, it takes anywhere from 3 to 6 months to be licensed to become a licensed foster parent.

There's a clear near a clear need for that.

But if if for some reason, that's not within, your ability to do, there are organizations that are doing incredible work.

Not just mine, not just the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.

There are approximately 60 qualified foster care organizations here in the state of Arizona that are dedicated to, serving and addressing these critical needs.

How are you collectively, trying to get more people to open their homes because you have more children than you do homes?

Yeah, I think that is the key is to have, homes waiting for children instead of children waiting for homes.

That is a task that, the state of Arizona has not been able to, achieve.

And being able to talk about that issue, that problem and that ability to be a part of a solution is a first step, which is why I appreciate, this kind of space in this kind of conversation.

So I want to reference your website, if you don't mind, so we can let people know that they can obviously go there and find out more information, but also how they can contribute if they're not able to become, you know, foster parents, they can contribute in other ways.

Absolutely.

And it's a tax credit that, you know, you get it back dollar for dollar.

So it really costs you nothing to be able to help the kids in our community.

And it really is, is about, it does take a village, you know, that that is my learning.

I'll tell you a quick story very quickly.

And the story I tell is about, you know, two brothers and one brother, went into a group home and the other one was placed with a foster family.

The older was the younger brother didn't graduate high school.

He is often unhoused and unemployed.

And the older brother did graduate high school, went on to college, went on to, go get a graduate degree and then, gets to lead this organization and sit in these spaces and talk to you.

Fundamentally, the difference between those two stories, Catherine, is that I was supported.

And that's going to make the difference.

So it takes a village being part of that village for a child and foster care support.

It means everything.

Yes.

Thank you so much for joining me, Louise, and sharing your story.

I want to remind people too, about the website.

It's a fcf.org, and I appreciate all the work that you're doing in the state of Arizona.

We appreciate so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That's our show.

Thank you so much for watching for Arizona and Arizona PBS, I'm Kathryn Anaya.

We'll see you next time.