Young people in Arizona’s foster care system will continue to receive critical educational services and support throughout the final year of the National Center for Youth Law‘s FosterEd Arizona initiative, and well into the future, thanks to a generous $250,000 grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.
The funding will allow the FosterEd Arizona team to continue directly serving students for a final year while completing a planned transition to ensure these vitally needed services, which have proven transformational for students across the state, continue under the state’s Department of Child Safety (DCS).
“Youth in Arizona’s foster system are the real recipients of this grant funding,” said Michelle François, senior director of the National Center for Youth Law’s Compassionate Education Systems Initiative. “This gift rounds out a six-year partnership with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and ensures that these students aren’t left behind and that they continue to have access to many of the same or similar supports that have proven life-changing for so many young people over the past decade of our FosterEd Initiative. We are beyond grateful and appreciative of the Foundation’s support.”
FosterEd Arizona, which was launched in Pima County in 2014 as Arizona’s demonstration site, ensures that AZ students in foster care are supported by an educational champion and an inter-agency education team. Through the program, the FosterEd team partners with each student in a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive way, providing consistent engagement and long-term support to help each student reach their educational goals.
Thanks to key investments from the State of Arizona and private partners like The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, the program expanded in 2018 to also include Maricopa and Yavapai counties, helping it reach 80% of students in foster care in the state.
“Foster youth face many challenges, both in and out of the classroom,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “FosterEd Arizona’s work ensures that education remains a top priority, providing stability for the child and hope for their future.”
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, which has granted $1.25 million to FosterEd Arizona over the past six years, has been vital in helping the program expand and improve. The funding has supported investments in research, evaluation, and the publication of five large-scale statewide reports. It has also provided training and technical assistance for professionals in schools, DCS offices and communities throughout the state.
“FosterEd Arizona is providing foster children with an Education Champion,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Those champions ensure that children who might otherwise fall through the cracks have the necessary support they need, while advocating on their behalf and encouraging them to succeed.”
FosterEd’s approach — which has proven successful in other states like Indiana — is to develop programs in high-need areas, proving their viability and effectiveness for a period of eight to 10 years, and then pass that investment to state governments for long-term sustainability.
This latest round of grant funding from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will ensure all youth are supported throughout the ongoing transition as FosterEd Arizona completes its transition to DCS by summer 2025. It will also assist in the development of training and technical assistance modules so that professionals across the state are well-equipped with the best practices and policies to support youth in foster care.
“Every student should feel valued and prepared to succeed,” said François, with the National Center for Youth Law. “This amazing commitment from such a supportive community partner will help ensure Arizona’s students in care get the support they need and deserve.”
About FosterEd Arizona
Through implementation of demonstration sites, bold policy agenda, collaborative learning networks and research, FosterEd Arizona is creating a future where every young person in foster care or under the jurisdiction of probation graduates from high school with a wide array of possibilities for their future.
About the National Center for Youth Law
The National Center for Youth Law centers youth through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves. For more information, visit www.youthlaw.org.
About The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture and nourish people during what is often the darkest time of their lives. Founded in 2012 by philanthropists and business leaders Bob and Renee Parsons to provide hope and life-changing assistance to the country’s most vulnerable populations, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers critical funding at critical times to those in need. The Foundation’s giving is driven by the core belief that all people – regardless of race, religion, roots, economic status, sexual orientation or gender identity – deserve access to quality healthcare, education and a safe place to call home. Follow @WeDealInHope on social media or visit , to learn more about partner organizations and the important work being done in the community.
