Despite her experience as a juvenile detective investigating reports of abuse and neglect, Debra finds it shocking that minority youth like Maria represent more than 36 percent of the Rhode Island children in foster care, double the percentage of minority youth in the general population.
Maybe its everyday stress or unemployment, but its hard when you see kids whose parents are involved in domestic situations or drug busts, she says. We need more people to parents these kids when their own families cant care for them.
Those on-the-job experiences and their desire to provide a child with a stable, loving home are what eventually led Debra and Freddy to become licensed foster parents. To earn their license, the couple took classes one night a week for seven weeks, learning how to parent children who have experienced trauma and to partner with social workers and other professionals to help children return home to parents, reconnect with extended family, or find adoptive families.
I used to be afraid Id be heartbroken when a child left, but Ive seen my own parents maintain relationships with the children they fostered, even 10 years later, says Debra. She now sees her role as providing a healthy, happy home, and helping Maria stay connected to her birth family.
Too many kids dont have parents they can count on, Debra adds. People think you have to be rich or live in a big house to be a foster parent. Those are myths. What kids really need is someone who can provide structure and nurture them.
Like Debra, Anna P. took in her nieces children when their mother passed away, but on a limited income, she struggled to keep the family together. After several of the children entered foster care, Anna was referred to Casey Family Services.
My niece Jasmine thought I was too hard on her and didnt show her enough affection, says Anna. Im from the old school strict rules and no talking back. Casey helped me to understand what we both could do to make things better. Im glad we didnt give up.
Annas nephew Tyson sought support at the Casey Family Resource Center, which offers youth groups, as well as English classes, income tax preparation, and other services to children and families in South Providence. Tyson played basketball and helped clean up local parks and fields through a club designed to teach young men responsibility.
With both Jasmine and Tyson in college, Anna now helps other families who are raising kin gain access to critical supports, such as food stamps, daycare, and the types of services provided by the Casey Family Resource Center.
For more information about becoming a foster or adoptive parent or to volunteer at Casey Family Services, call (401)781-3669 or send email to tjones@caseyfamilyservices.org.