Becoming a parent always requires a bit of a lifestyle adjustment. Raising a child takes time, patience and sacrifice.   It’s no different when you become a foster parent. Just like your own children, children in the foster care system will have homework, doctor’s appointments, and a need to socialize and be active.   One of the biggest questions potential foster parents have is—Can I manage fostering and working full time? The simple answer is yes, it is possible for even single parents to work full time and foster a child, but there are definitely some things to keep in ..read more

LGBTQ couple builds their forever family through adoption Just two hours after officially becoming foster parents through Child Crisis Arizona, Bailey and Alex got the call that would forever change them—a newborn baby boy needed a home. Bentley had been born drug exposed to a mother who had a long history with the Department of Child Safety. During the first phone call, Bailey was asked if she would consider adopting this little boy.  “They didn’t want us to say yes to fostering if we weren’t open to adoption as well,” Bailey said. “I knew we got the call for a reason. I just said yes a ..read more

Interested in Fostering? Here’s an outline of the process Imagine for a moment, being a parent and having your child removed from your custody. What kind of home would you like for your child to go to? What questions would you ask the people who are caring for your child? What steps would you like to know they have been through to prepare them for that role?  We believe all children should be cared for- and looked after in the same way you would care for your own children. That’s why the process to become a foster parent can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. No parent is going to be perf ..read more

Daniel always knew he wanted to be a dad, but for years he let his own excuses get in his way.  “I’ve always wanted to be a dad and adoption always seemed to be the path I’d pursue,” he said. “For years I pushed off the idea, not feeling that I was ready and that I needed to wait until I was married since that is the expectation.”  During the pandemic, Daniel took time to re-evaluate and decided not to put off adoption any longer. He became licensed to adopt through Child Crisis Arizona.    “I started the training classes focused exclusively on adoption and telling my ..read more

Thousands of children in Arizona need a safe, loving home! Child Crisis Arizona is happy to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community who are looking to start their foster or adoptive journey. Can LGBTQ Families Adopt in Arizona?  The process to foster or adopt can be confusing for anyone but it may be particularly complex for those in the LGBTQ+ community.   Since 2014, Arizona law has allowed anyone over the age of 18 to adopt a child, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. As long as you can provide for a child financially, emotionally and physically, you can be c ..read more

At the age of 13, Allistar found himself in a position that many teens in foster care face. Due to no fault of his own, he had to leave the foster home he’d been living in for years and move in with a new foster family. While many teens struggle as they transition into a new living situation, Allistar was fortunate to be placed with the Palmer family who opened their home and hearts to him. Living in a safe and loving home with the support of his foster family, Allistar experienced all of the typical teen “firsts” such as learning to drive, getting the first job, and going to prom. They even ..read more

Expert answers to your foster care questions! This week, we conclude our FAQs About Foster Care series with more answers to caregivers most frequently asked questions about foster care! Read part 2 of our series for answers to your questions about foster care reimbursement rates, how families are matched to a foster child, getting licensed as a kinship caregiver and more! 6. Can I choose the age, race, gender, etc. of my foster child? Children are placed in your home based upon your family’s preferences. You will closely with your agency specialist to determine the characteristics (age, gender ..read more

Interested in fostering a child? Get the FAQs! Over the years, our foster care specialists have met a lot of prospective foster parents and there are certain questions that seem to come up time and time again. We’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions we get about foster care and had our specialists answer them in our latest blog series: The FAQs About Foster Care. Read part 1 of our series for information on fostering while single, expectations of foster parents, negotiating contact with your foster placement’s biological parents and more! 1. Why would a child need to be pl ..read more

Teens-Are-Easy Fosters, Full-Circle Foster The last part of our Many Faces of Fosters series concludes with more stories and advice from foster parents. Find out why the Pablos choose to foster teens and read a story about a foster placement coming full-circle. Teens-Are-Easy Fosters Tara and Cleo Pablo say fostering teens is easy. With three older children of their own, bringing a foster teen into their home made sense. The couple describes their foster son as an “easy kid, great guy, conservative in his ways,” who fits into their family well. They were motivated to add to their family becaus ..read more

Transition-Assisting Fosters, Just-One-More Fosters This week, our Many Faces of Fosters series continues with interviews and stories from foster parents. Find out how Michelle and Bruce are working to help their foster teen transition into adulthood, and read the story of how Andrea and Bruce expanded their family through foster care and adoption. Transition-Assisting Fosters The same week Michelle and Bruce Noe’s youngest daughter left for college, their 15-year-old foster son moved into their home. The couple decided to wait until their three biological children were grown before they opene ..read more