1,800 children and youth in LA County alone, face the risk of being displaced from homes as early as next month.
Aviva Family & Children’s Services has been grappling with an alarming development threatening Foster Family Agencies (FFAs) across California. Since 1988, Aviva has played a critical role in providing safe, nurturing homes for children in the foster care system. However, the stability of our programs—and the futures of thousands of vulnerable children—hangs on an unfolding insurance crisis.
Update 9/19/24 (Article in Los Angeles Times)
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands of foster kids in California could lose their homes amid insurance crisis. Read the full article b Rebecca Ellis in the LA Times.
Update 9/13/24 (CBS2/KCAL9 News segment. Click to see the video.)
Recently CBS2/KCAL9 aired a segment on the crisis reported by Rina Nakano. The story features Adriana Mancilla, one of our incredible resource parents who has opened her home to over 150 foster children and youth over the past 22 years.
The Crisis at Hand
This month, the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC) informed us that they will not be renewing our insurance. Our policy is up for renewal Nov 1 so we have very little time to act. As a result, we are reluctantly starting to develop contingency plans to temporarily suspend our Family Foster program until we can resolve this issue.
The implications of this crisis extend far beyond our agency. The potential collapse of California’s foster family system could displace approximately 1,800 children in LA County alone and over 9,700 children currently in resource family homes statewide. Resource family homes provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children in foster care and are a critical component in our state child welfare
system in keeping children safe. The loss of experienced FFAs like Aviva would intensify the already severe placement crisis in LA County. This could lead to a shortage of safe, stable homes for children, resulting in long-term trauma and instability, and would likely exacerbate LA County’s homeless crisis.
What’s at Stake
Aviva’s FFA program has been a beacon of hope for countless children and families. We have facilitated thousands of adoptions, helping children in the child welfare system find permanent, loving homes. Our 42 resource families, many of whom care for more than one child, receive comprehensive support from our dedicated team, who are available 24/7 to ensure the safety and well-being of every child.
Aviva’s FFA received the Human Rights Campaign “Innovator” Seal of Recognition, which signifies our program as innovative in supporting LGBTQ+ youth and families through our inclusive services since 2017.
“The stakes are incredibly high. LA County is already experiencing a decline in resource parents, making the need for FFAs more critical than ever. The loss of experienced FFAs would exacerbate the vulnerability of children and youth across LA County and the state, with effects that could be felt for generations.” – Amber Rivas, President & CEO, Aviva Family and Children’s Services.
Call to Action
Aviva is actively working to address this crisis, but we cannot do it alone. We are calling on local and state legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration to immediately stabilize the insurance market and provide emergency bridge funding to prevent program closures. Much like the state’s response to the homeowner’s insurance crisis, we need leaders to step up and protect foster youth by ensuring FFAs like Aviva can continue their essential work.
How You Can Help
As supporters of Aviva Family & Children’s Services, your voice is crucial in this moment of crisis. We ask you to join us in advocating for the protection of foster youth by contacting your local representatives and urging them to prioritize the needs of FFAs. You can find your representative’s contact information here and tell them to take immediate action.
Together, we can ensure that Aviva and other agencies across California can continue their life-changing work, providing stability, safety, and love to the children who need it most.
To learn more about this crisis, check out this opinion piece from The Sacramento Bee.
For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Priscilla Valencia, VP of Development at pvalencia@aviva.org
Let’s rally together to protect our youth! Please tag us #9700ReasonsToAct @CaAllianceKIDS @AvivaSoCal