Funds will support the Keys to Success program aimed at helping youth aging out of foster care.

PHOENIX, July 13, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has generously awarded Arizona Friends of Foster Children (AFFCF) a multi-year grant totaling $375,000 in support of the Keys to Success program, aimed at helping youth aging out of foster care. There are nearly 10,000 children in Arizona's foster care system with approximately 900 youth aging out of the system every year.

President and CEO of AFFCF, Luis De La Cruz states, "This long-term investment and partnership with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation serves as an enabling force to help us change the story of foster care in Arizona."

"Every child should have the right to find their own path and pursue their dreams," said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. "Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is helping foster youth discover the best version of themselves."

Keys to Success is the gold standard of individualized person-centered support in Arizona, focused on employment, education, housing, and financial literacy for youth aging out of the foster care system. In 2024, Keys to Success will serve 350 youth across three counties in Arizona (Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pima). The goal of Keys to Success is to help youth aging out of foster care achieve self-sufficiency that leads them to discover their potential and a pathway to living-wage employment. Once enrolled in the program, participants work with a team that helps them:

• Identify short and long-term career goals.
• Prepare for and secure employment.
• Identify and complete education/training that aligns with their career plans.
• Develop life skills and build upon personal interests.
• Connect to partnering organizations that provide additional services or resources.

"Keys to Success helped me see that my future can be great," says Victoria, a Keys to Success program participant. "Before, I didn't think I was going to graduate high school. Now I'm planning for a career in the medical field."

The latest program statistics show 88 percent of program participants secure employment within one year of enrollment, and 79 percent of program youth who completed their GED enrolled in post-secondary or vocational training. The dedicated team teaches youth how to navigate job applications, school applications and so much more. The grant awarded by The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will assist AFFCF in sustaining service levels across the state in the Keys to Success program.

"Programs like Keys to Success are so vital to our community," said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. "As children age out of foster care, they often have nowhere to turn. Thankfully, Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation is there to provide much needed support during a pivotal time of transition."

About Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation

Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation (AFFCF) provides foster care support by closing critical funding and service gaps. AFFCF has over 40 years of experience ensuring Arizona's foster care population can participate in the same activities as their non-foster care peers, achieve self-sufficiency through employment, education, and housing programs and pursue post-secondary success. AFFCF is dedicated to changing the story of foster care in Arizona and qualifies for the Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit. Visit affcf.org for more information.

About the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture and nourish people during what is often the darkest time of their lives. Founded in 2012 by philanthropists and business leaders Bob and Renee Parsons to provide hope and life-changing assistance to the country's most vulnerable populations, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers critical funding at critical times to those in need. The Foundation's giving is driven by the core belief that all people – regardless of race, religion, roots, economic status, sexual orientation or gender identity – deserve access to quality healthcare, education and a safe place to call home. Follow @WeDealInHope on social media or visit TBRPF.org, to learn more about partner organizations and the important work being done in the community.

Media Contact

Lindsay Hansen, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, 1 4802056195, lindsay@ldhconsulting.net, www.tbrpf.org 

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SOURCE The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation