Marc Anthony was less than a month old when he suffered a skull fracture and seizure and was placed with Child Protective Services. Today the 4- year-old giggles and plays with his parents Brian and Veronica Imblum.
Marc Anthony waited more than two years for a family of his own, perhaps because of the potential long lasting effects of his injuries.
“As soon as we saw him we said ‘let’s go for it’ and if something comes up down the road, we’ll deal with it,” Brian says.
So far, all is well.
And all is well for Annabel, 4 and Damian, 5. The siblings like to ride bikes and watch cartoons. They enjoy spending time with foster parents Manuel and Lorraine Fimbres and their children, Vanessa, Jessica, and Manuel at the family ranch. They especially like playing with the family’s calves and kittens.
Life wasn’t always this way for Annabel and Damian. A couple of years ago they were removed from their birth mother by CPS. “When they came to us it was like a different culture,” Lorraine says.
“Damian and Annabel, they didn’t know nothing,” continues Manuel. “They were eating from the trash. It’s like they were living in closets. Days were nights for them, nights were days.”
Annabel and Damian’s story has a happy ending, but not all children are so fortunate.
In Arizona, 4,362 children lived in foster care from October 2007 to March 2008, according to the Child Welfare Report. Of those, 618 children are in residential treatment centers, shelters, detention centers or hospitals. That leaves 959 children living in group homes while they wait for foster or adoptive parents. The ideal setting for children is in the “most family-like setting possible,” according to the Youth and Family Services Division of the Department of Economic Security.
| MORE INFORMATION The Adoption Center The Adoption Information Center is a facility where the public can come to learn about the adoption process and some of Arizona’s children waiting for adoption. The center, run by Arizona Families For Children produces the Arizona Adoption Exchange Book, a collection of pictures and descriptions of children in need of homes. The book currently has 79 children, which includes nine sibling groups. Staff and volunteers at the center offer educational support for families waiting to adopt and help to link them with Arizona agencies that have children. The Adoption Information Center is located at 1011 N. Craycroft Road and can be reached at 327-3324. |
An additional goal is to keep children in their own neighborhoods and cultures. The number of children being removed from their homes in South Tucson and on Tucson’s south side exceeds the number of foster homes available in the vicinity, according to Angela Martinez, a DES district II foster care recruitment specialist for children, youth and families.
For a child in that area, the chance is greater to have to leave their school, neighborhood, community, church, friends, any supportive people or resource that they have, and maybe as important, lose connection to their culture,” Martinez explains.
Children are usually removed due to abuse, neglect, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse or mental illness of the parent, according to Nancy Larison, associate director for St. Nicolas of Myra Adoption Center.
There are 13 agencies in Pima County that provide foster care. Several of them, such as St. Nicolas, double as adoption agencies.
“We work with school age children that have experienced a terrible disruption in their lives,” Larison says. “They tend to have behavioral problems reflective of the traumatic backgrounds that they came from.”
This makes them harder to place in foster or adoptive homes.
Experienced parents who are about to become ‘empty-nesters’ and don’t take it personally when behavioral problems arise, are well suited for this type of parenting, Larison says. The Fimbres, whose older children are 21, 19 and 17 are seasoned parents.
And this is exactly the type of parenting the Fimbres’ provide for Annabel and Damian, says Joanna Marroquin, foster family resource recruiter for Arizona Children’s Association.
When Annabel and Damian arrived at the Fimbres’ home, they had no language skills, but have since received speech therapy and are now bilingual. They now also eat with a spoon and fork, wake in the morning, and have a regular bedtime. Annabel attends Headstart and Damian is in preschool.
The need for foster or adoptive homes is especially high for sibling groups and teenagers.
Martinez, the recruitment specialist for DES, notes that in abusive or neglectful homes, brothers and sisters often take care of each other. Being removed from home and parents is traumatic and being separated from brothers and sisters compounds the painful situation. She adds that it’s very rare for just one child in a sibling group to be removed.
Teens also have unique needs. Many have been in the system for quite some time and find it difficult to trust and form attachments.
“They are on the cusp of adulthood, and if they are not connected to a family when they exit the system they will have no one to turn to,” Martinez says. “Most people, when they think of foster care, think of babies and small children. The face of foster care includes all children, teenagers, sibling groups and large sibling groups.”
So who is right for foster care or adoption?
“Normal families do not do foster care,” says Rick Simpson, director of community ministries at Christian Family Care Agency. “We are not looking for normal families.”
Simpson explains that he is looking for parents who recognize they cannot do this on their own. They will need to enlist help from family, friends, church members and their foster/adoption license worker.
“Lone rangers don’t make it in this business,” warns Simpson.
And according to Martinez, this is just the direction DES is headed. Through the Family to Family Initiative, the agency will partner with families to build strong support for the betterment of the community, reaching out to leaders, churches and businesses, requesting their help and support for foster families.
For example, nearby churches might offer support groups for foster parents while their children are attending special activities hosted by community volunteers.
Being a foster or adoptive parent isn’t for everyone. It requires emotional dedication and an unusual skill set.
“People who are called to it, they embrace the pain,” Simpson says. “This is their calling.”
As for Annabel and Damian, they became official members of the Fimbres family this summer. Their adoption was finalized on Aug. 4.
How to Become a Foster or Adoptive parent
To become a foster and adoptive parent you must be 21 years or older, pass both a CPS and FBI background check, have a safe home and be financially self-sufficient.
It’s not necessary to be wealthy. Families and individuals from a variety of financial backgrounds can adopt but do have to be able to meet the basic needs of the child.
Adoption subsidy is available to cover any pre-existing health conditions, so families can adopt without debilitating financial burden.
The next step is to set up an intake interview and sign up for state required training. This process helps prospective parents discover what will work best for themselves and their families.
Finally, prospective parents need to get fingerprinted, have a safety inspection of their home, personal interviews and submission of medical and financial documents. Individual agencies may have additional training or requirements.
Orientation Information
Families or individuals interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents can get additional information by attending an orientation.
To register, call 1-877-KIDS-NEED-U
Orientations are held at:
Emmanuel Baptist Church
1825 N. Alvernon Way
October 14, 2008
November 11, 2008
7 p.m.
Arizona Children’s Association
2800 S. Eighth Ave. Bldg. 13
October 28, 2008
November 25, 2008
Noon
Some meetings are held in Spanish and English.
