Local agencies recruiting in immigrant community for a changing caseload
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Sherri Williams
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
When Reynaldo and Delcina Cordova cared for two Latino foster children last year, they sensed that the brother and sister were at ease because of their cultural connection with the couple.
"It could have been a little sense of us vs. them," said Mr. Cordova, 32. But the fact that he is of Mexican descent and he speaks some Spanish helped ease the transition for the children, who are bilingual.
The children?s mother also had a level of comfort with the couple based on culture. "She was trusting us, so they were, too," said Mrs. Cordova, 37, who is of American Indian descent.
Franklin County Children Services wants to recruit more bilingual and ethnic foster parents in anticipation of more ethnic children in foster care as the immigrant population grows, agency spokeswoman Kay Marshall said.
Seventy-five of the 1,882 Franklin County children in foster care in February were Latinos and two were Somalis, Marshall said.
"We?re trying to be more representative in the homes; we have to match the community," Marshall said.
Immigrants in Columbus represent 130 countries and speak 105 languages, according to the city?s Community Relations Commission. Eight percent of the county?s residents are foreign-born, and 11 percent speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census.
Because being removed from their homes can be traumatic enough, a different language, culture and food only can make things more difficult, said Josue Vicente, executive director of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition.
"It creates confusion for the kid, being educated in one culture then going into foster care with a different ethnicity in an environment that is different from what you have been taught your entire life," Vicente said.
The Cordovas are both teachers with Columbus Public Schools and have a toddler son.
They decided to become foster parents four years ago after a student in Mrs. Cordova?s class needed a home. That student, who is white, is still living with them.
A Latino girl who stayed with them last year appreciated having familiar food, Mrs. Cordova said. "We do Mexican breakfasts; having that was comforting for her."
For Somali youths, being separated from their families and out of touch with their religion can compound their anxiety, said Hassan Omar, president of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, especially because many families spent years together in refugee camps.
Recruiting in immigrant communities has been challenging because other countries do not have child-welfare agencies, said Daryle Cobb, a county foster-care recruitment specialist.
Omar agreed, saying, "The system of foster care did not exist at home in Somalia, and it is new to the community."
In Lorain County, having Latino caseworkers has helped boost the number of Latino and bilingual foster families to 18, said Patti-Jo Burtnett, spokeswoman for that county?s Children Services. Lorain County?s foreign-born population is 2.4 percent, according to U.S. Census data.
"We have caseworkers who can go out to speak to people in Spanish and have conversations and understand the culture," she said.
To help bridge the gap in Franklin County, the Ohio Hispanic Coalition has promoted the importance of Latino foster families in its newsletter.
Children Services also has advertised in Latino newspapers and the agency will have a booth at the coalition?s El Dia de los Ninos, Children?s Day, on April 28.
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Source: Columbus Dispatch, April 08, 2007