Everyday there are about 14,000 children in Arizona navigating the foster care system. The Foster Care Review Board of Maricopa County works to place children in safe homes and if possible, reconnect them with their birth family.
The board’s mission is to advocate for the placement and stabilization of the children’s new home, to encourage returning the children back to their original families and educate parents on the responsibility of caring for a child.
Not only does the board impact the lives of children, but it impacts the lives of the board members as well. Enid Seiden and Pam Hait are proud FCRB board members who have worked on the board for over 7 years.
“I think it’s given me a purpose. I like to give back and this has given me a way to give back to the community,” Seiden said.
She explained the originality and effectiveness of the board’s practices. The FCRB takes into account more than just the child’s age and living situation. The board fights to get the foster children back to their original families.
That is the goal however that is not always the reality. With that being said, the board is still contributing to the placement of the children involved in the cases.
“It doesn’t take a lot of people to make an impact,” said Hait.
Since there are children of all ages in the foster care system, where they are in their life and what their future looks like is highly taken into consideration by the board.
For example, Hait said if the child is 16-years-old or older, the FCRB realizes that they are near adulthood. Therefore, the needs are more independent or steered toward higher education. The board stands up for all children, according to Hait.
The board takes notes on the case, meets once a month to discuss and then they meet with the case manager and associated parties of the child. The whole purpose of the meeting is to review and work on the cases before they go to the judge.
Caroline Lautt-Owens, the Director of the Dependent Children’s Services Department at the Arizona Supreme Court oversees the staff who manage the FCRB.
The staff included in the meetings are the case manager and a program specialist. The board also allows a variety of people to attend such as the birth parents, foster parents and any children over the age of 12, including the ones in the cases.
“It’s really a non-threatening environment,” said Lautt-Owens.
The members are happy to serve the community and give back. It is an important reminder of what is going on in others lives, according to Hait.
“You think you got trouble, I'll show you real trouble,” Hait said.