A Different Kind of Love hosted attendees on Saturday, November 2nd in the GG building at Pacific Coast Campus, all with the hopes of expediting the process to become a foster parent.
The event was held in partnership with LBCC’s Foster and Kinship Care department, along with the Department of Children and Family Services and various other foster care agencies. An informational session, an orientation with the Department of Children and Family Services, and assistance for beginning the process to qualify as a foster parent were held.
LBCCD Superintendent-President Reagan Romali spoke at the event about her own experience as a child in foster care, along with her recent experience of adopting children from an orphanage in China and becoming a foster parent herself.
“You will fall so madly in love with them, you’ll want five, six, or seven,” she said, laughing. She included some parenting tips, namely the need for structure and how crucial it is to make foster children feel safe and loved.
Dr. Claudia Garcia, Program Manager of Foster and Kinship Care Education spoke about Long Beach’s specific need for foster care resources and outreach to prospective parents.
Long Beach is one of the “cities with highest retention of removal of children from their homes. At this campus, is where we see the retention, in comparison to other parts of Long Beach,” said Garcia.
“We wanted to put in an effort in recruiting families that are prepared and can nurture and provide safe and healthy homes for children, and have the hopes that those children can stay in their communities.”
According to Dr. Garcia the process can even take 3-4 months at the college, potentially even longer during the holidays. The goal of A Different Kind of Love is to expedite the process of becoming a foster parent, which can often take at least 2-3 months.
“[We are] hoping they can finish the process within a month. We’re hoping to keep individuals engaged and interested in the process by expediting how they complete the requirements to complete the process.”
The event speakers included were, Dr. Edwina Lewis of the Department of Child and Family Services, Lisa Campbell-Motton of the L.A. County Probation Department, and Sandy Nash of ChildNet.
Each offered their own perspective of the foster care system, answering audience questions and walking attendees through the process of becoming a resource parent.
Lou Moore, the Executive Director of Foster All said, “I was a foster parent, then me and my husband adopted. If you feel you’re ready to move forward, we’re here.”
It is a relatively involved process becoming a foster parent, including background checks, a home assessment evaluation, and a psycho-social assessment.
Around 20 individuals attended the preliminary orientation session, and it is estimated that between 200-300 families attended the main informational event.
Garcia urged those not necessarily ready to become a foster parent to still get involved.
“There’s many ways to help those in foster care. There are so many ways they can assist children through their lifespan. We will be providing those options. Individuals can reflect and determine what their strengths are and determine what they have the capacity to do.”
Information on mentorship programs such as CASA was also provided, for those who want to be involved but are not ready to house any children. Programs such as CASA essentially works as a program similar to Big Brother or Big Sister, acting as a mentor and stable figure in a child’s life.
“It’s the most beautiful thing you can do,” said Romali. “It changes you as a human being, and it changes the world.”