Arizona’s foster children have a better chance for a bright future because Angela Ducey, the First Lady of Arizona, is absolutely passionate about helping to insure that their needs are met. Today at Arizona’s Capitol, Mrs. Ducey, Debbie Moak, Director of the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family (far right in photo above), and Jenica McMaster, Regional Manager of CarePortal, (far left in photo) shared with a packed conference room of pastor’s wives about the urgency of involving Arizona’s faith based community in meeting the practical needs of at risk children and families.
Mrs. Ducey shared the belief of herself and her husband, Governor Ducey, that everyone can do something to help support vulnerable families and possibly prevent children from entering the state foster care system. She also described the urgency in helping to meet the needs of children who are already in the state’s foster care system.
CarePortal is an initiative that successfully launched in Pima County, has expanded to Maricopa County, and will soon go statewide. CarePortal is a collaboration between the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS), who submit practical needs of vulnerable children and families that DCS is involved with to the CarePortal online system, and then area churches who have signed on to be a part of CarePortal step up to help meet the practical needs. According to Mrs. Ducey, CarePortal plays a role in preventing child abuse and neglect, as local churches step in to strengthen at risk families..
With the support of Governor and Mrs. Ducey, the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, DCS, and CarePortal, the hope is that there will be a church ready and willing to help every vulnerable family in Arizona. Churches that are interested in getting involved can contact Jenica McMaster at [email protected]
Care Portal is one more example of Arizonans stepping up to engage in meeting the needs of children and families at risk. Meeting practical needs can reduce stress on families, and play a role in reducing child neglect and abuse. At We Are Their Future, we believe that the children need us NOW, and that government is not the best parent for a child. As Arizona’s citizens, we cannot sit idly by simply believing that the foster children are fine, being raised in group homes and temporary homes. Every child in Arizona deserves a happy childhood with the same experiences as other children, as well as the opportunity for a bright future.
Everyone can do SOMETHING to help. Find out what YOU can do – foster, adopt, volunteer, donate practical needs or finances. With over 17,000 children in Arizona’s state foster system, it is going to take ALL of us pitching in TOGETHER to change their futures. We ARE their future, until they become OUR future. Go to www.wearetheirfuture.org to find out how YOU can help change vulnerable children’s lives.