For less-fortunate children in Arizona, the state provides a safety net. The Dependent Children’s Services Division advocates for safe, permanent homes for foster children and a cornerstone of these services is the Foster Care Review Board. 

The board is made up of volunteers, more than 600 across the state, who study the cases of foster children and represent their interests in juvenile court proceedings. 

“This volunteer job speaks to people’s hearts,” FCRB board supervisor Charlie Gray said. “We’re talking about helping families, helping children.” 

There are four FCRBs in Yavapai county, one that meets in Cottonwood every other month. Each board has five members, residents from the community who see a need and are willing to take the time to represent foster children. The cases are court supervised and the files sealed. 

“Children are very vulnerable, and I saw firsthand how everything that’s happening to them can really affect them, so it was an easy choice to get involved with the foster care review board because it’s an opportunity to work with and help represent the best interest of those children in care,” Laurie said, a board member whose last name is withheld to protect her ongoing cases. 

Currently, the boards review the cases of about 300 children in Yavapai County. The need for each review board member is critical. 

“Once someone comes and volun¬teers for our program, they quickly find a value in what they do and they see the meaningful steps that they help make in families,” Gray said. “We’re very grateful for the effort that they make.” 

In a typical review session, the parties meet in front of the five-member board. 

“The case manager, or an attorney, a foster parent or biological parent come into the room. The [review] board asks questions, follow up questions and the FCRB program specialist types up the board recommendations and gets them over to the juvenile court for the court’s consideration,” Gray said. 

“Our job is to read the notes, talk to the involved parties at the meeting and make recommendations to the court,” Laurie said. “Ultimately, the judge makes the final determination.” 

“We offer a forum for all of the interested parties. It’s their opportunity to come in and talk to us about what’s working, what’s not working, where they would like to see things go,” Gray said. “That is paramount to having us be able to identify potential recommendations that help keep families together whenever possible. 

“When we can make sure that the needs of a child are met, and the wonderful outcomes that happen when families are reunited, that is an incredible feeling for anybody in that room.” 

Typically, cases before the FCRB resolve issues for foster children and their families, but they also hold the parties responsible for the plan set by the court. 

“That’s a hard thing sometimes to have to say to the judge — these people are not meeting the goals you have set for them and maybe it’s time to have a real hard talk about what the next steps are,” Laurie said. “Overwhelmingly, the preference is for the children to have safety, stability and security and nobody wants to see them in [foster] care for long periods.” 

Still, the hours spent as a volunteer have their rewards. 

“A volunteer will leave every day that they have done a review, saying they have made a difference. They will get to know those children and they will be very satisfied being able to help insure that appropriate services are in place for the kids,” Gray said. 

“Maybe an infant has been diagnosed at birth as being drug addicted and having been put in foster care; as we approach the one year mark, the foster parents determine that they want to adopt this child, the child is happy, well-adjusted and the child, they think this is their mom or dad and you can just see the happy ever after. That’s a good day,” Laurie said. 

Cottonwood is in need of volunteers right now for their review board. You can request an application by going to the FCRB website: AZFCRB.org or calling Gray at (602) 452-3615.

Don Eicher can be reached at 282-7795 ext 126 or email deicher@larsonnewspapers.com