WAUKESHA COUNTY — This Hispanic Heritage Month, Waukesha County Foster Care is encouraging Hispanic and Spanish-speaking residents to apply to be foster parents.
Of the 34 foster families currently in the county, none identify as Hispanic or speak Spanish.
“We really want to be able to make good matches for kids that come into foster care, but of the foster homes we have, we don’t have any families that identify as Hispanic,” Michelle Jones Lim, the Foster Care and Kinship Services Supervisor, said.
The organization created a Facebook post at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month emphasizing the need for families that reflect all foster kids.
"If we had a Spanish-speaking child come in, we would have no families to match them with," Lim said. "It was shocking given the larger Hispanic population we have here."
A 2023 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 10,000 residents in Waukesha County speak Spanish at home.
Lim said the absence of Spanish-speaking foster families can make the trauma experienced by children entering the foster care system worse.
“It’s not knowing what people are talking about or expressing feelings when you already don’t know how. It would be a huge void for them," Lim added.
To help address this gap, Children’s Wisconsin launched a Spanish-language foster care website earlier this year. You can find that by clicking here.
Now, during Hispanic Heritage Month, Waukesha County continues to raise awareness and encourage potential foster parents to step forward.
"We really want to be inclusive and ensure we are finding foster families for all of our kids," Lim said.
While the county needs Spanish-speaking families, Lim added they need more foster families in general.
The requirements to become a foster parent are:
- Must be at least 21 years old.
- May be single, married, partnered, dating, or any relationship status.
- May be a renter or homeowner with a minimum two-bedroom home.
- Must be able to financially support oneself with monthly income exceeding monthly expenses and documented forms of income.
- Generally good health with any physical or mental health conditions controlled with treatment.
For those interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, Waukesha County Foster Care is hosting a virtual information session on Wednesday, Oct 9 from 6-7 p.m.
To learn more, click here.
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