Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation is awarding Arizona Friends of Foster Children a multi-year grant totaling $375,000 in support of the Keys to Success program, aimed at helping youth aging out of foster care.
There are nearly 10,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system with approximately 900 youth aging out of the system every year, according to a press release.
“This long-term investment and partnership with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation serves as an enabling force to help us change the story of foster care in Arizona,” said Luis De La Cruz, president and CEO of AFFCF.
Keys to Success is the gold standard of individualized person-centered support in Arizona, focused on employment, education, housing, and financial literacy for youth aging out of the foster care system.
“Every child should have the right to find their own path and pursue their dreams,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is helping foster youth discover the best version of themselves.”
In 2024, Keys to Success will serve 350 youth across three counties in Arizona (Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pima). The goal of Keys to Success is to help youth aging out of foster care achieve self-sufficiency that leads them to discover their potential and a pathway to living-wage employment. Once enrolled in the program, participants work with a team that helps them:
- Identify short and long-term career goals.
- Prepare for and secure employment.
- Identify and complete education/training that aligns with their career plans.
- Develop life skills and build upon personal interests.
- Connect to partnering organizations that provide additional services or resources.
The latest program statistics show 88% of program participants secure employment within one year of enrollment, and 79 percent of program youth who completed their GED enrolled in post-secondary or vocational training.
“Keys to Success helped me see that my future can be great,” said Victoria, a Keys to Success program participant. “Before, I didn’t think I was going to graduate high school. Now I’m planning for a career in the medical field.”
The grant awarded by The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will assist AFFCF in sustaining service levels across the state in the Keys to Success program.
“Programs like Keys to Success are so vital to our community,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “As children age out of foster care, they often have nowhere to turn. Thankfully, Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation is there to provide much needed support during a pivotal time of transition.”
