Bakersfield Family Answers the Call - Celebrating Foster Care Month

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - May 2, 2018 - PRLog -- It begins with "the call" – when a child requires foster care, the need is urgent. For Bakersfield family Alejandra Lemus and Jose Figueroa, the call came when a baby boy needed a home.

"We have two biological children, and wanted to learn more about adopting," Lemus explained.  "My co-worker was a foster parent with Aspiranet and suggested we contact them to learn more."

In California, roughly 50,000 children live with either relatives or foster parents who provide both short and long-term care during periods when the child is unable to live with their birth parents. Aspiranet provides foster care and adoption services at 11 community-based sites statewide, connecting children with families who can provide a safe, stable and loving home environment.  Lemus and Figueroa completed their foster family training with Aspiranet, and in June 2017 welcomed a baby boy into their home.  Two months later, Lemus and Figueroa also began fostering the boy's three young sisters.

Children come into the foster care system for multiple reasons, none of which are their fault. Aspiranet specializes in foster care and adoption. Once placement occurs, foster parents receive comprehensive training, in-depth educational programs, one-on-one counseling and ongoing 24/7 support and guidance. Working in partnership with families, Aspiranet's mission is to reunite children with their birth parents if and when they can return home safely. And thanks to the flexibility of families like the Lemus-Figueroas, Aspiranet can help children who need short-term care or lifelong homes.

"I couldn't imagine my bio children being separated from each other, so when we learned that our foster son's siblings needed a home we said yes immediately," Lemus explained, adding that working with Aspiranet has been "wonderful and smooth."  "I recommended Aspiranet to my friend, and she has already been qualified to start fostering."

"We work with families like the Lemus-Figueroas, surrounding them with support services so they can be successful in providing a caring, nurturing haven for children and youth in need," said Diane Warne, Aspiranet Foster and Adoptive Families Division Director. "We are here to support our children and families every step of the way."

About Aspiranet

Aspiranet is a 501(c) (3), California nonprofit organization with the mission of providing children, youth, and families with a foundation of support and services so they can succeed at home, at school, and in their communities. Aspiranet provides a comprehensive suite of services including foster family support, adoption through foster care, support for foster youth transitioning to adulthood, mental health services, residential care, intensive home-based care, and community-based family resources. For more than 40 years, Aspiranet has impacted more than 35,000 children, youth and parents at 33 community-based sites statewide. For more information, visit www.aspiranet.org.