Foster & Adoption

FOSTER/ADOPTIVE FAMILIES


Join our Foster/Adopt Support Group held the fourth Friday of most months from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. There will be a virtual link available for those who cannot attend in person. A separate registration is required for each month. Childcare is available.

Watch for updates on events on the calendar and in biweekly emails.

Please contact Foster/Adopt Coordinator Susan Olson at susan.olson@rpcvolunteer.com or 719.447.7367.

Have you ever considered what it would look like to be involved in caring for the vulnerable children and families of Arizona? Whether you are interested in foster care, adoption, advocacy, respite care, mentoring, or serving foster families in tangible ways, we invite you to explore where your gifts and abilities may be used. Whatever season of life you are in - there is a role to play! Please join us to truly help you find your place in foster care.

Join us for the End-of-Summer Party for the Foster/Adopt community. Cool off on the water slides, play games, and fellowship over everyone's favorite activity - food! This is a free, open house-style event for all local foster, adopt, and kinship families. Please invite your friends. We would love to meet them!

Ohana is looking for host homes! Help a foster youth become independent.


Do you have an extra room to rent? Earn some extra rent and help a young person in need.
Ohana has been awarded a contract through the Department of Child Safety for youth who have aged out of the foster care system. These youth are vetted and hand-picked to be ready for independent living. This program provides room & board and supportive services along with support to help with life skills needed for independence. This can include assistance in jobs training, locating permanent housing, and education services. Ohana is looking for host homes throughout all of Maricopa County.

Please email susan.olson@rpcvolunteer.com with questions or visit Ohana Transitional Living for more details."


Foster Mentors


Becoming a mentor to a foster child can be the most vital part in one's life. You get to be a friend, someone who will encourage them, and one that can give stability. It is a very worthy task that quickly turns into a long lasting relationship. Our Foster Care Ministry is partnering with Arizonans for Children to bring the mentor program to Rock Point Church. This is an exciting opportunity to help a foster child in need. Their mission is to facilitate opportunities that provide effective solutions to alleviate hardships and improve the fragile lives of the abused, abandoned, neglected children in foster care.

Online Application PDF Download Application

For more information about the Foster Mentor program, email outreach@rockpointchurch.com Thank you!

RESOURCES FOR FOSTER FAMILIES
AND FOSTER CHILDREN


This list is just a few of the several local organizations focused on providing resources to foster families and the children in their care.

Helen’s Hope Chest
Helen's Hope Chest provides thousands of foster youth in Arizona with quality clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, books, gifts, and more at no cost to their foster parents. The unique, boutique-like environment encourages the children and teens to make their own clothing and accessory selections.
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Jose’s Closet
Resource center in Apache Junction that supplies foster, adoptive and kinship families with clothes, strollers, school backpacks, toys, formula and more.
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Arizona Helping Hands
We assist foster families who have stepped up to provide a safe, loving environment for children in the Department of Child Safety system. Our programs are designed to provide many basic needs for these boys and girls.
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ASA Now
Advocates for, supports, and assists children who are currently in or have been adopted out of foster care in Arizona. They also offer clothing, food, supplies and more for foster families as they receive new placements.
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Arizonans for Children
Arizonans for Children exists to facilitate opportunities and provide effective solutions to alleviate hardships and improve the fragile lives of the abused, abandoned, and neglected children in foster care. Supervised visitation centers, mentoring program, additional resources for foster children, foster families and bio families.
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Arizona Friends of Foster Children
AZFCF gives children in foster care back their childhood. We help promote their self-esteem and enrich their lives by funding activities and other needs that give them quality experiences as they live through very difficult circumstances.
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Advocacy 31Nine
Advocates for the educational success of children impacted by foster care in Maricopa County.
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Arizona Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents (AZAFAP)
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Arizona 127
Connecting local churches to educate, equip and empower families to serve foster children in Arizona. AZ127 offers invaluable training (TBRI) for anyone who serves at-risk/vulnerable youth and also offers Orientation and Basic Training classes for prospective foster families.
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ASA Now
Advocates for, supports, and assists children who are currently in or have been adopted out of foster care in Arizona. They also offer clothing, food, supplies and more for foster families as they receive new placements.
Learn More

AZ Family Resources
Answers to the questions asked most often by both new and experienced foster parents. The Arizona FIRST Advisory Commission created this website to offer increased support and information by providing you with policies, expectations, instructions, guidelines, tips, information, and resources. Be sure to look through both topical information and local resources.
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Hope and a Future
Every foster child deserves hope and a bright future. Together, Hope & A Future helps them reach their potential and achieve their dreams. Formed in 2004 as a Christian nonprofit, we serve abused and neglected children living in the foster care system. Our programs of summer camps, life skills, mentoring and college scholarships provide the children the necessary tools to be successful in life.
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Hotline
1-888-SOS-CHILD (767-2445)
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Warmline
1-877-KIDSNEEDU
The Foster Parent Warm Line is a resource for licensed foster parents who are experiencing situations and cannot reach the Department of Child Safety (DCS) case manager for the child in their care in a timely manner. By calling 1-877-KIDSNEEDU (1-877-543-7633), and selecting Option 3, licensed foster parents will be connected to a Warm Line representative. The Warm Line is staffed during business hours but messages may be left at any time of the day or night.
Learn More

Insurance
The Comprehensive Medical and Dental Program (CMDP) is the health plan that covers children in foster care.
Learn More


FOSTER CARE AWARENESS STATISTICS

  • 280 foster homes closed in January-March 2020
  • AZ needs at least 1200 new foster homes to meet the current need. The number will be much higher as we see the impact of COVID-19 on child safety and welfare.
  • Nearly 15,000 children are in out of home care in Arizona. Of those, about 3500 are ages 13-17.
  • 2,243 are currently placed in group homes or other congregate care.
  • 461 children aged out of foster care in AZ in the first half of 2018 alone.
  • An average of 25 kids are removed from their home per day in Arizona.
  • 71% of girls in foster care will be pregnant by the time they are 21.
  • 25% of young men who age out of foster care will father a child by the age of 19.
  • 30% of foster youth are arrested at least once before they turn 19.
  • A third of the nation’s homeless population spent time in foster care.
  • 80% of death row inmates are former foster youth.
  • More than one third of foster youth have 5+ school changes.
  • 44% of youth in AZ have experienced at least 3 ACE’s (adverse childhood experience)
  • 85-90% of children are removed from their homes due to neglect.
  • 1 in 3 children in foster care cannot read at their grade level.
  • Foster youth experience PTSD at TWICE the rate of US War Veterans.
  • Half of foster youth who have aged out have been involved with substance abuse.
  • Only half of aged out foster youth will be employed at age 24.
  • Nearly 60% of youth rescued from sex trafficking in the US were from foster care or group homes.
  • Arizona leads the nation in the number of children per capita in group or shelter care.
  • 1,300 children waiting in emergency shelters for a family more than three weeks.
  • Studies show the biggest factor in changing the trajectory of a foster youth’s life is ONE positive relationship with an adult for at least 6 months.

ONE mentor. ONE friend. How can you help? Email outreach@rockpointchurch.org.

WHATEVER IT TAKES