Santa Clara County’s Need for Foster Parents Comes in All Ethnicities

Statistics from the Santa Clara County Department of Family & Children's Services.

San Jose, CA – As foster parents, Vicente and Rosa Perez are aware of the big difference that they are making in the life of their two-year-old son. Although the blue eyed and blond boy is not legally adopted yet, this married and very religious couple say that when you adopt a minor, “he is not adopted anymore, he’s your son, and this boy is my son since the day that he arrived into my house,” said Vicente Perez, 48.

According to statistics of Santa Clara County, of the 1,600 children currently living with foster families, around 56% are Latin children, 23% are Caucasian, 14% Afro-American, and 5% are Asians. Juliana Rocha, a social worker for Santa Clara County says there is a strong need for foster parents for Latino and Afro-American children in particular.

When a child is placed in the foster care system, it is with “the goal that the child will go back with his family. We need families who can take care of the foster care children, and families who can adopt them,” said Rocha. Also, “we need families for teenagers,” she added.

The Santa Clara County has about 430 licensed foster homes. The County of Santa Clara Department of Family and Children Services is always looking for foster parents who are prepared to rear children who have had traumatic experiences of neglect, separation, and emotional challenges in their lives. They are also looking for foster homes for sibling groups, pre-teens, and teenagers, and children with special medical, emotional, developmental and educational needs. In the state of California there are more than 68,000 children in the foster care system.

Six years ago, Vicente and Rosa Perez decided to become foster parents, with the hope of one day of having their own children.

Both husband and wife started filling out forms, and taking classes required to become foster parents in the Santa Clara County. Since that time, they have been foster parents of two children: First, a 7 year-old girl and then an infant boy who arrived to their home and is currently with them since May 9, 2008, “when he was just two days old,” remembered Perez who is from Texas.

On the other hand, Rocha said that many children placed in foster care “not only have been abused, but suffered neglect” or for various reasons such as “domestic violence, alcohol, drugs, or simply because their parents are sick or in jail and can’t take care of them.”

The process to become a foster parent starts with an application, a background check and training. There are a total of six steps: Application and Orientation, Training (27 hours of Parent Resource Information Development Education – PRIDE), At-Home Consultation, Licensure, and Placement. The foster parents should be at least “18 years of age, have an adequate income, a home with enough bedrooms, and take a finger print test,” among other requirements, added Rocha. Foster parents receive monthly financial assistance for each child they foster, Medi-Cal health insurance and advocacy and support services.

The experience of being a foster care parent for Rosa and Vicente has been satisfying. “Since six months ago we have been talking about the option of having more foster children, so my son can interact with others and have play-mates,” said Perez. “But we haven’t made a decision yet.”

If you would like to become a foster parent or want more information, please call (408) 299-KIDS or visit the Social Services website at: www.sccgov.org/portal/site/ssa.