Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers $250K toward FosterEd program
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
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 services, which have proven transformational for students across Arizona, continue under the Department of Child Safety.
“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 Arizona 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.
“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 Arizona.
“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.
“Every student should feel valued and prepared to succeed,” Ms. François said, 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.”
