The Salt River Foster Care Program is looking for Native mentors to support the Community’s youth involved in the foster care system as part of the new Our Relatives Mentorship Program.

Social Services Manager (Licensing) Norma Hernandez said mentored youth in foster care are less likely to engage in risky behaviors.

“As a mentor, you offer consistency, encouragement and a trusted connection, helping young people feel supported, valued and connected to their culture and community,” said Hernandez.

The SRPMIC Foster/Kinship Unit, composed of Hernandez and foster care licensing specialists Becky Carino, Eldra Fred and Christina Prichard, has recently held outreach events to engage the Community. There were two mentorship orientations on Feb. 5, one in-person and the other in a virtual setting. The first mentorship event of the year was on Feb. 20 at the Social Services building.

“[At the event], the mentees got to meet with some of the Community members that volunteered,” said Prichard.

“Meals and fun ice-breakers were provided. So, the kids got to know their mentors a little better.”

Prichard and her team have also hosted recruiting tables in the Community recently to attract potential mentors.

“We were in the Round House Café seeking Indigenous individuals that would be willing to commit to monthly meetings with our children in care here at the group homes in the Community,” said Prichard.

Prichard said that the goal for the Mentorship Program is to connect Community children that are placed in group homes with Indigenous individuals who can be good examples to them and encourage and motivate them.

Besides running the Mentorship Program, the Foster Care Program recruits and licenses foster non-relative families that help care for Salt River children.

“We also license our kinship families, who are related to the children, and they go through a similar process as our foster non-relative families,” said Hernandez.

Carino specializes in foster care and kinship homes.

“For licensing and kinship, we help with training, go into their [foster and kinship] homes to do home assessments, and conduct background checks,” said Carino.

“It usually takes 90 days to become licensed. Some families are licensed sooner.”

As a licensing specialist, Fred works directly with kinship families.

“I really enjoy working with kinship families, because a lot of the families that are assigned to me are grandparents raising their grandchildren or great-grandchildren,” said Fred.

“I enjoy working with them because I get to hear their stories and [hear them] reminisce about their childhood and how times have changed from their child-rearing days to today’s methods.”

If you are interested in becoming a mentor for a child in foster care, reach out to Norma Hernandez at (480) 242-0963.