Fostering Advocates Arizona

Youth. Speak. Change.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About Us
    • Meet Us! – Young Adult Leadership Board
    • Community Advisory Board
    • Our Priorities
  • Advocacy
    • Youth Advocacy & Rights
    • Normalcy
    • Training & Support
    • Publications
  • Aging Out
    • Aging Out? Now What?
    • Independent Living Program (ILP)
    • Transitional Independent Living Programs (TILP)
    • Independent Living Subsidy Program (ILSP)
    • Arizona Tuition Waiver (ATW)
    • Education and Training Voucher (ETV)
    • Young Adult Transitional Insurance (YATI)
  • Resources & Supports
    • Education
    • Employment and Money
    • Family and Community Relationships
    • Health
    • Housing Resources
    • Parenting Resources
    • Vital Documents
  • Contact Us

Supporting the Transition to Adulthood

September 17, 2018 by FAAZ Blog Leave a Comment

As most children approach age 18, they are excited about new independence and freedoms. For youth in foster care, their 18th birthday is often a time when the services they relied on the most to survive, come to an end. For many, they lose their support system and find themselves on their own without any connections. With the correct guidance, resources, and connections, this time could be easier for youth in foster care. As a foster parent, you can help ease this transition.

I entered foster care at age 15. Like most older youth, I was first placed in a group home. Fortunately, I was moved to a foster family took after a few months and I stayed with them until was ready to transition. The group home was a difficult place for me to succeed. Due to limited staffing and the desires of the other girls, I often didn’t have time to work on my homework. I also didn’t have access to a computer which made completing many of my assignments quite challenging. This changed when I was placed with a foster family, and later gain admittance to Arizona State University. I was still 17 at the time, and my DCS caseworker was worried about me living in the dorms on my own. With help from my foster parents, I was able to get a judge to sign off on me going straight to ASU and living independently. I also decided to do extended voluntary care and joined the DCS’s Independent Living Program. where I found even more support and resources.

My story is not the norm. Most youth in foster care will not go to college. Many will end up young parents, and many others will end up homeless. I was fortunate enough to have the determination and guidance to succeed. Foster families can help provide this same guidance to the youth they care for.

The first step foster families can take is to care for older youth. Older youth are more likely to be placed in a group care setting vs. family setting. As my story demonstrates, this can be a key factor in a youth succeeding.  For me, the group home interfered with my ability to study. Group home restrictions can make it difficult for youth to find jobs and succeed in other areas. Youth may also not receive the individualized guidance they would receive in a family setting.

Foster families should also be informed about the services and resources offered to young adults who have experienced care. The Independent Living Program is one example. Other resources include YATI, tuition waivers, education and training vouchers (ETV), financial literacy training and support through Opportunity Passport™, and more.

Lastly, foster families should recognize, that like a traditional family, the needs of a child do not end at 18. Foster families can continue to stay in contact and offer guidance to youth who have been in their care. My foster family keeps in touch and has invited me to come back for the holidays. While it can still be scary starting out on your own at 18, these simple gestures can help all the difference.

-Nikki, FAAZ YALB member

Filed Under: Aging Out, Education Tagged With: aging out, college, education, foster families, group homes, ILP, independent living program, Nikki, older youth, transition out

Keeping Youth Connected

September 7, 2018 by FAAZ Blog Leave a Comment

Young people in foster care face a lot of educational challenges, including moving schools frequently, losing connections with close friends, and disruptions in academic plans. Foster families, however, can make this transition easier by listening to youth and helping them maintain connections during this time.

I entered the foster care system at age of ten. I experienced several placements, including group homes, foster homes, as well as some kinship placements. While I was able to stay at the same middle school, once I entered high school, I began moving schools once every few months. From freshman to sophomore year I was forced to switch school seven different times. This made it hard to make new friends, as I knew my time at a school would always be temporary. I didn’t get along with my teachers and never felt like I was living up to my full potential. The most difficult part was the lack of communication I had with anyone regarding these frequent changes. One foster parent showed concern for me during this time. She worked hard to make sure I could go out with friends and have normal experiences.

I stayed connected to my best friend from middle even during this time. Although there were challenges, being able to call or visit him was really important to me. I remember when I could visit him, I would look out the window of the group home van and see him with the biggest smile on his face, happy that I could visit. It was much different than when we saw each other every day in middle school, but it was exciting and meaningful when we were able to visit. It was this friendship that allowed me to eventually find permanency, as my friend’s mother adopted me into their family. It was through the support of my other placements that I was able to maintain this relationship.

All young people deserve permanent connections. Friendships serve as important long-term relationships. To help assist youth with these relationships, foster families must communicate with youth in their care. Ask us who is important in our lives and help us stay in contact with them, whether it is through in-person visits or phone calls. Ask us what school we go to and if we would like to stay there. Advocate for our best interest; to make it possible help us advocate for ourselves and work with our case specialist to find the best solutions.  Our case plan is not set in stone. You are functioning as a parent, and just like a biological parent, you can and should speak up for the wants and needs of the youth in your care for.

-Maria, FAAZ YALB member

Filed Under: Education, Youth Rights Tagged With: connections, education, foster families, friendship, Maria, school, school transitions

A New Sun Devil!

July 2, 2018 by FAAZ Blog Leave a Comment

Jesus Ledezma, a member of the FAAZ Young Adult Leadership Board, has been awarded the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholarship, an award for youth who have experienced foster care and others who face barriers to education. With the assistance provided by the scholarship, Jesus will be attending Arizona State University this fall.

Jesus is passionate about helping others, especially in the area of healthcare. He reflected on the many people who were part of his “team” who helped him get to this point.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people who supported me; family, friends, and programs,” Jesus shared.

In addition to pursuing a career in healthcare compliance, Jesus is also enrolling in the Barrett Honors College.

Jesus has worked very hard to become a Nina Scholar. He shared that prior to high school he “hated math, hated pretty much every bit of school.” During his freshman year, he felt motivated to work towards a better life and raised his grades and became very involved in school. He started tutoring other students, even in math, which he found he didn’t hate so much once he did well. He worked on his school’s yearbook and was their Editor in Chief his senior year. Jesus also started his school’s chess club and was inducted into the National Honor’s Society.

For Jesus, these scholarships represent all the hard work as well as his future. “It feels like I’m getting there, slowly getting to the point where I can be successful,” he stated. He views this scholarship as a stepping stone for the future.

Jesus’s advice for other youth who are eager to earn scholarships is to trust the people who are there for you, whether it be friends, family or programs. Most importantly, he said, “don’t screw up your ninth grade year.”

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: education, Jesus, Nina Scholar, scholarship, Scholarship Programs, Young Adult Leadership Board

Frank Smith is going to the UK!

December 6, 2017 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

We are so pleased to share that Frank Smith, a member of the Fostering Advocates Arizona (FAAZ) Young Adult Leadership Board, has just been awarded the extremely prestigious Marshall Scholarship, a postgraduate scholarship for distinguished young Americans,  focused on future leaders and with the goal to strengthen the special relationship between the United Kingdom and United State for “the good of mankind in this turbulent world.”  It is one of the most difficult scholarships to win requiring university endorsement and competition against approximately 1000 applicants nationwide.  Each year, 40 Americans are awarded the scholarship.  Frank heads to the United Kingdom in August of 2018.

I thought I bombed it (the interview). I had got into Los Angeles at 3 am from a red eye from New York City and my interview was at 3 pm that same day. The questions were grueling and challenging,” Frank said.

Frank is looking forward to attending Oxford University and obtaining his Master’s in Comparative Social Policy. Frank’s knowledge and drive to win this award came from a number of sources. He has worked hard to build a support system with friends already in the program as well as working with the Arizona State University National Scholarship Office to help expedite the interview process.

“Young adults interested in going for these types of awards should know it is a very lengthy process and to not get discouraged. I have been at it since April 2017. I was fortunate to have great recommendations as well and during the essay process I was able to use those to tell my story,” Frank shared.

As an alumni of foster care in Arizona, Frank has been an outstanding leader and inspiration to us all in his drive to improve outcomes for children caught in the grips of the child welfare system, often speaking with policy-makers.  He has repeatedly demonstrated an unfailing ambition to reach and to learn through diverse experiences in the broader public policy world.  This is another step in his quest to make a difference in the lives of others.

What’s next for Frank? Start the prep for an August departure to study for two years. Frank’s dream? “Capitol Hill of course!” He said.

Filed Under: Education, News

I Speak Change. Youth Speak Education.

January 22, 2016 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

ISpeakEduDuring my senior year of high school I would ask myself every day  “how in the world am I going to pay for college?” As a former foster child, first generation college student, and having no means to finance my education, I was never deterred from seeking a college degree. Rather, these obstacles pushed me to work even harder. I did not want my fate to be the same as some individuals around me, which resulted in me devoting time every day to applying for scholarships.

Frank Smith ASU Student Body President
Frank Smith

The Armstrong Family Foundation Scholarship was the first scholarship that I was awarded. Many scholarships commonly provide the funds to attend college, but the Armstrong Family Foundation Scholarship provides so much more- a family. Each month we participate in a scholarship event. Some of the past events include seeing a Broadway play at Gammage Theater, learning proper dining etiquette, attending professional development opportunities, and taking part in community service. My personal favorite is when all of the scholars go to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. During the weekend trip, the scholars assist in building homes for local families and distribute about 1,000 food boxes.

Frank Smith ASU Student Body President

In addition to the cultural experiences, networking opportunities and all of the free food, there is a scholarship coordinator that will be there for you every step of the way during your collegiate experience. Without the funds provided to me by the generous Armstrong Family Foundation Scholarship, I would have not been able to be as involved in the extracurricular activities on and off campus.

A person is not responsible for the circumstances that they are born into, but they are responsible for what they do despite their upbringing.” —Frank Smith

Interested in applying for the Armstrong Scholarship? Click here!

Filed Under: Advocacy, Education, News

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »
Watch Our Video About Normalcy in Foster Care
7 Ways to Advocate for Your Rights in Foster Care
  • Resource Library
  • Video Library
  • Media Kit

CONNECT with FAAZ

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Copyright by Fostering Advocates Arizona at Children's Action Alliance (CAA). The information included on this website is gathered by CAA. The organizations included on the website are not endorsed by CAA or Fostering Advocates Arizona. We welcome suggestions to improve this website. Please email fosteringadvocatesaz@gmail.com.