Gov. Spencer Cox Calls On Utah Families To Be More Involved In Foster Care Programs

7 months ago

Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) held a press briefing to urge Utah families to increase their support of and for foster programs in their communities.

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Transcript

00:00 >> Good morning.

00:06 Is this working all right?

00:08 It feels a little quiet.

00:10 Good morning. Thank you all for being here.

00:12 My name is Nikki McKay.

00:14 I'm the CEO of Utah Foster Care.

00:16 I want to thank Entrada for showing up and

00:19 continuing to show up for foster families in Utah,

00:22 and also for opening their space to us this morning,

00:26 so we can share a little bit about

00:28 the urgent need for more foster families,

00:31 and who the vulnerable children are in our state that need this support.

00:35 May is National Foster Care Month,

00:38 and I'd like to share a little bit about what foster care is,

00:41 and who the children are.

00:43 We'll be hearing from local business and faith leaders,

00:46 from a current foster parent,

00:48 and a former foster youth,

00:50 and we will be wrapping up the press conference with

00:53 a message from the First Lady and Governor Cox.

00:56 When a child enters foster care,

00:59 it's because their parent has no one else in their life to

01:03 support them during a very vulnerable and challenging time in their life.

01:08 They have no family,

01:10 and they have no friends that can step into the space and help them care for

01:13 their child temporarily while they need that support.

01:16 This is the devastating reality of foster care.

01:20 Today in Utah, there are 1,756 children impacted by foster care.

01:26 The majority of these children have siblings,

01:29 one in four are Latino,

01:31 one in three identify as LGBTQ,

01:34 and one in three are teenagers.

01:37 There are children in foster care hoping to return home to their family,

01:42 and there are children in foster care waiting for their forever families.

01:46 Today in Utah, we have 822 licensed foster families.

01:51 This is the fewest that we've had in over 25 years.

01:55 When there aren't enough families to care for the children in need,

01:59 the children end up staying in dormitory style living.

02:03 Nationally, we have seen children have to stay in their case workers offices and in hotels,

02:09 and we do not want to see that here in Utah.

02:12 Outcomes are better for children when they have

02:15 options to best fit their individual needs,

02:18 and we know that children do better when they're with families.

02:22 The kids in Utah need you,

02:24 and we need you.

02:25 Thank you for being here today.

02:27 >> Welcome everyone. I'm Adam Edmonds.

02:36 I'm the CEO of Entrata.

02:38 It's been our pleasure to be a partner of Utah Foster Cares the last few years.

02:42 Personally, I grew up here in South Jordan.

02:44 I did not grow up in foster care.

02:46 I have never fostered a child,

02:48 but I fell in love with this cause a few years ago.

02:50 We started hosting events here,

02:52 and as I started to meet the kids,

02:54 meet the foster parents,

02:56 meet the biological parents trying to get their kids back.

02:59 It's really an area that just touched our heart here at Entrata.

03:03 So we've tried a number of different things to just try and help, honestly.

03:06 We just go where Nikki and where the first lady tell us to go,

03:09 and we give resources where they're needed.

03:11 This should be a solvable problem.

03:13 You just heard there's a couple thousand kids.

03:15 These kids are the most vulnerable part of our population,

03:19 and there's just so much that they need growing up as teenagers.

03:24 One thing that's become pretty clear to me is when they turn 18,

03:27 a lot of the resources and funding can dry up.

03:30 I have a child that turns 18 on Wednesday.

03:32 That kid is far from ready to enter the world without some help.

03:36 So there's just a lot of need.

03:38 My call is to other business leaders.

03:40 You don't have to be an expert in foster care.

03:42 Reach out to Nikki, reach out to us.

03:43 We'll tell you what we do. There's a lot of kids that need help,

03:47 and it's not that difficult to provide quite a bit of help to these children.

03:51 We're honored to be a part of it.

03:52 We're honored to have everybody here today. So thank you.

04:08 >> Good morning. I'm also happy and privileged to be here.

04:12 I'm Elder Hugo A. Martinez of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

04:17 and I bring the love and greetings of the Utah area presidency.

04:21 This is a marvelous event for a wonderful cause.

04:25 I testify to you that these are God's children,

04:29 and that he loves them dearly,

04:31 and that we have the opportunity to help,

04:35 to foster, and that is an invitation that we extend to you.

04:40 We know of the sacrifice that are involved,

04:44 and we know of the doubts,

04:45 but if you will reach out to Utah Foster Care,

04:48 all those can be answered and resolved.

04:51 This is an invitation to the community at large.

04:54 We're grateful to be here. Thank you.

04:59 >> My name is Jamie White.

05:09 I am the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Salt Lake City.

05:15 About 15 years ago,

05:17 my husband Dave and I sat down to have

05:20 our first conversation about the possibility of foster care and maybe adoption.

05:26 See, we both had this nagging suspicion that our family maybe wasn't quite full yet.

05:33 We already had two elementary aged boys at the time,

05:37 but we had the sense that we still had more room.

05:40 More room in our home, yes,

05:42 but more room in our lives,

05:44 more room in our hearts to embrace and love more children,

05:48 to make room for a child that might need that in some way.

05:53 But I have to admit, we were pretty nervous because Dave and I had

05:58 seen foster care and adoption up close in the lives of some very dear friends,

06:05 in some families at the church I had been pastoring,

06:09 in the orphanage I had been privileged to work with in Kenya,

06:12 and in Dave's practice as a licensed clinical therapist.

06:17 So, we knew that whenever a child is removed from their birth parents,

06:23 for any reason, there is a deep and there is a profound wound.

06:28 A wound that we couldn't help but wonder one thing about.

06:33 Would our love for that child be enough?

06:36 Enough to make them feel safe,

06:39 enough to help them heal,

06:41 enough to make them feel whole,

06:44 enough to help them feel loved.

06:47 So, our decision to become foster parents,

06:50 it felt like it really should come down to that.

06:53 Would we have enough?

06:55 Would our love be enough?

06:57 But friends, here is the truth.

07:01 No matter how hard we tried,

07:03 we could not answer that question.

07:06 So, we just decided to attend the foster care classes and get licensed anyway.

07:14 Because a different question,

07:16 I would argue a much better question kept rising to the surface.

07:21 It was this, were there still kids that needed a loving family?

07:27 Were there still kids that needed somewhere to go tonight?

07:32 It was a much better question indeed.

07:36 So, yes, our love,

07:38 what we had to offer,

07:40 it was going to have to be enough.

07:42 Our family's foster journey,

07:45 it eventually led us to caring for a darling,

07:47 tiny little baby named Mila.

07:51 Now, of course, it is always,

07:54 always the first hope that a child might be able to be reunified with their birth parent.

08:00 But in Mila's case, that wasn't possible.

08:04 So, after 17 months,

08:06 we were lucky enough to get to adopt Mila.

08:10 Mila is 11 years old now and she's here with me today.

08:14 She's quite literally the joy of our lives and she is the boss of our entire family,

08:21 including her older brothers who are now 20 and 25 years old.

08:26 Life simply would not be the same without her.

08:30 But I will be honest,

08:32 it isn't always easy, is it girl?

08:34 Mila's got big questions and we can't always answer them.

08:39 There are tough days to be sure.

08:42 But we all just keep showing up with all the love we've got and so far it's been enough.

08:50 So, here's the thing, we just have to do all we can to address the shortage of foster homes in Utah.

08:59 Because that same question that rose to the surface for us all those years ago,

09:04 it is precisely why we're here today.

09:07 Are there still kids that need somewhere to go tonight?

09:10 Unfortunately, yes, way too many kids.

09:15 So, the only thing that makes any sense whatsoever is to put out a call to our communities,

09:22 to those who we know have some love to give,

09:25 to make some more room for these kids.

09:28 Not just in their homes,

09:30 but in their hearts and their lives because that is what these kids need to thrive.

09:36 There are so many kids just like Mila and they deserve

09:39 a loving family and sometimes they might not need a forever family.

09:47 Sometimes they just need a soft place to land for a little while while their parents heal.

09:52 Either way, these kids need somewhere to go tonight.

09:58 So, whatever we have to do,

10:01 let's make room. Thank you.

10:05 >> Good morning.

10:14 My name is Chad Griffiths and my wife and I started our foster care journey in 2022.

10:21 When discussions first came up between my wife and I about foster care,

10:26 the words were first said,

10:27 the initial reaction was fear.

10:29 I can relate to what has been said.

10:33 It was, we had a comfortable life.

10:37 It was fear of the unknown,

10:39 fear of grief and loss,

10:41 and most importantly, fear of what it would mean for our existing children.

10:46 Today, when our family talks about foster care,

10:49 the emotions are very different.

10:52 Fostering has made our family closer together.

10:55 I've watched my teenage daughters learn amazing life skills,

10:59 handling difficult life situations.

11:03 We have felt our perspectives shift as we confront

11:07 the different life experiences of the children that have come into our home and their families.

11:12 We came thinking that we would be able to give to help those in need,

11:17 but I can tell you we have received more than we have ever given.

11:22 Our hearts have grown and filled with love for these children

11:26 almost instantly from the minute that they walked into our home.

11:30 When I asked my 14-year-old what I should say today,

11:34 she told me to tell everyone that these kids just need connection.

11:39 Someone who will love them and support them,

11:42 and even if it's hard, it is worth it.

11:45 These vulnerable children are navigating a lot of grief.

11:48 They didn't choose the situation that they're in,

11:51 and they love their parents.

11:53 Let me give you an example.

11:55 On Sunday night, we currently have a four-year-old placed in our home,

12:00 and he had the opportunity to visit with his dad.

12:04 When we were done with that visit with his dad,

12:08 I picked him up and he was so sad.

12:12 He loves his dad.

12:13 His dad is working so hard to take the steps necessary to be able to get his little boy.

12:18 I didn't know what to tell him.

12:20 He was inconsolable as he just cried and cried as I took him,

12:26 and we headed back home.

12:27 I put him in the car,

12:28 he cried and cried.

12:30 We're driving home and I was talking to him trying to calm him down.

12:35 Finally, what I started doing is I just sang him a lullaby.

12:37 It's a lullaby I sing to him every night as he goes to bed.

12:40 We call it Daddy's Lullaby.

12:41 As soon as I started singing,

12:43 he stopped crying until I stopped singing and then he started crying again.

12:49 So I started singing the song again.

12:52 Twenty minutes later, when we finally got home,

12:55 I was still singing that song,

12:57 but he'd been able to work through his grief and was excited to be back home.

13:03 That night, he gave me a great big hug and told me that he loved me.

13:08 We have felt immense gratitude for the support that we've received from family,

13:14 friends, the community,

13:17 companies like Entrada, faith groups,

13:20 Utah Foster Care, and especially other foster families.

13:23 No one is alone in this journey.

13:26 That support is so important because not everything is sunshine and rainbows.

13:31 Like anything worth doing, there are hard times,

13:35 but there's always been someone to turn to for help when needed.

13:38 It doesn't matter who you are,

13:42 I guarantee that you have something to give to these children,

13:45 and they have something to give to you.

13:48 Please, please come join us on our journey.

13:52 >> What a pleasure and an honor.

14:05 Little taller than that, sorry folks.

14:07 What a pleasure and an honor it is here to be today.

14:10 Hello, my name is Natalie Clark.

14:12 I entered foster care as a baby and again as a teen,

14:14 totaling six years in Utah's foster care system.

14:17 Who taught me to only condition my hair halfway down, not the scalp.

14:21 Who taught me how to clean a house,

14:22 spick and span.

14:24 Who taught me how to wash my laundry the right way.

14:28 So often we speak to the impact that families have on our youth,

14:31 and I'm here to confirm everything you've already heard.

14:34 Each person that took me into their home, single,

14:37 married, close to my age,

14:40 farther from my age, with kids,

14:42 without, and big beautiful homes on our beautiful one end of the valley,

14:46 two cozy homes on the other end of the valley.

14:49 Each home, each family,

14:51 each individual brought to me a profound gift of learning and growth.

14:57 A new village to celebrate my wins and console me during my losses.

15:02 But I'm also here to tell you about the impact our young people can have on you.

15:06 As much of an impact each person had on me,

15:09 I can say with certainty,

15:10 I had a profound impact on each of them.

15:13 On each of the people I shared pieces of my life and my heart with.

15:17 I was a stellar big sister,

15:19 an active participator in all.

15:22 From fun games at the park,

15:24 to foster sisters dance recitals,

15:25 to the weekly airing of our new episode of our family show,

15:29 and yes, the shared house chores too.

15:32 Foster care is an experience.

15:34 It doesn't necessarily mean forever,

15:36 and I think that's the beauty of it.

15:38 If even just for a season,

15:39 the learning, the bond, the trust.

15:42 It can be unbreakable, unforgettable, and irreplaceable.

15:46 It's not forever, but foster care to me is my forever village,

15:51 my forever people, and my lifelong cheerleaders.

15:55 I know I have someone to call during a breakup.

15:57 I have someone to eat dinner and cake with each year on my birthday,

16:01 and people cheering me on in every single thing that I do in life.

16:05 None of them ever had to change my diaper.

16:07 I call that a win-win if you ask me.

16:10 Some of the people that were cheering the loudest in the stands for all of

16:13 my graduations were the people that took me in as a teenager.

16:17 Thanks to the community for showing up for me when I needed them,

16:21 answering that call when I needed love the most.

16:24 I now get to spend the rest of my life advocating for young people in and from foster care.

16:29 I want to thank each of you that took me into your home,

16:32 for giving me the love that I never got before.

16:35 Everyone that's listening,

16:37 I want to please urge you to consider fostering a team,

16:39 and to become the cheerleaders,

16:42 and the loving village that I had, and they deserve.

16:45 Thank you for being here.

16:47 >> Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today.

16:59 We are so excited to be here with these amazing friends who have

17:03 shared their stories with you and their support.

17:06 I want to thank Adam and the Entrata team for inviting us here over and over and over again.

17:12 This is a place where we feel at home and our foster families feel at home.

17:19 So why we called you all together today?

17:22 This is something that has been very near and dear to Abby's heart,

17:27 as she cares deeply about our kids.

17:29 As we had an opportunity to embark on this journey as governor and first lady,

17:35 she knew that part of her job would be to care for the most vulnerable amongst us.

17:43 There is no one more vulnerable than our foster children.

17:47 You've heard today that the number of foster parents at our state is at an all-time low.

17:55 Twenty-four years ago, we faced a similar crisis in our foster system.

18:00 Then Governor Mike Leavitt did something.

18:04 He called a press conference like we're doing today,

18:08 and sent letters out to all of our faith leaders to share with their congregations.

18:14 It won't surprise you to know that the response was overwhelming,

18:19 that we then got a record number of foster parents who responded.

18:24 We're calling on Utahns to do the same thing again today.

18:28 We live in the most generous state in the nation.

18:31 We live in the most religious state in the nation.

18:33 Whether you're religious or not,

18:35 we live in a state that cares about giving back and taking care of our neighbors.

18:39 Now, I do believe that this is pure religion.

18:45 Undefiled before God is taking care of the fatherless.

18:53 Those who are struggling,

18:55 those who do not have parents,

18:56 those who become literally wards of the state.

18:59 We are the state.

19:00 They are our children.

19:02 It is our duty to care for them until their parents can do so.

19:07 We need you now more than ever.

19:11 So I'm happy to turn some time over to the First Lady to talk about why this is so important.

19:15 Thank you all for being here.

19:18 Again, to my friends who are supporting this,

19:21 and my friends up here that I've worked with over the last several years,

19:25 and all of you out there,

19:26 and our amazing Utah Foster Care team,

19:28 and those other nonprofits that work so closely with us,

19:33 and our state agencies,

19:35 and all those businesses and families that are coming together at this time.

19:40 Again, we want to thank people like Entrada and Larry H.

19:44 Miller for opening their doors of support to foster families.

19:49 The incredible examples they are to everyone that can play

19:53 a part in making sure they're most vulnerable in our state are taken care of.

19:57 Look, I know what you've heard.

20:00 I know what you're thinking.

20:02 I know that you've heard this,

20:05 the phrase, "The system is broken."

20:08 I'm here to tell you,

20:11 the system is not broken.

20:14 There are broken families.

20:17 There are broken people.

20:20 That's what we're here to do,

20:22 is to help heal the brokenness of these children and of these families.

20:28 There is a specific need in our state.

20:32 Again, we are the most generous,

20:35 and we are the most family-friendly state.

20:37 I think it would shock so many of you to

20:41 know that there are children without families in this state, in Utah.

20:48 That's our call today.

20:50 Children older than nine years old is our biggest need.

20:56 There are families that we need to take children that are older than nine years old,

21:03 and sibling groups.

21:06 Let me just tell you about what a foster family or a foster parent can look like.

21:12 They can be single.

21:14 They can be married.

21:16 They can be homeowners.

21:18 They can be renters.

21:19 They can be LGBTQ.

21:21 They can be religious.

21:22 They can be non-religious.

21:24 They can be parents with children.

21:26 They can be individuals without children.

21:29 They can be empty nesters.

21:32 Utah Foster Care Community needs your support.

21:39 Each one of us need to look in our hearts,

21:42 and in our homes, and in our situation,

21:44 and see, can I be a foster parent?

21:47 Is that in my situation right now?

21:50 If not, how can I support?

21:53 How can I reach out to a family that I know,

21:56 that I love, that's fostering,

21:58 and be a help for them?

21:59 How can I be a community that supports foster care?

22:04 One caring adult can make a huge difference in the life of a child.

22:12 So, please find it in your heart today to be a part of this system.

22:17 >> There are a lot of problems in government and in our state today.

22:26 There are problems that we're working on,

22:28 that were problems for the Herbert Administration,

22:31 and for the Huntsman Administration,

22:32 for the Levitt Administration.

22:33 There are problems that we may never be able to solve,

22:36 but we will always keep trying.

22:38 This is one of those,

22:39 Adam mentioned this, this is one of those problems that we actually can solve.

22:46 Currently, there are no states in the nation that don't have a waiting list for kids.

22:54 We truly believe that Utah can become the first state,

22:59 where there are families waiting for kids,

23:02 instead of kids waiting for families.

23:04 Imagine that, that the minute a need arises,

23:08 there's a family to help and jump in and take that responsibility.

23:12 Now, we don't want to fool anyone out there.

23:17 This is really hard.

23:19 I haven't talked to a foster family yet who said,

23:23 "This is the easiest thing we've ever done."

23:25 It's the exact opposite.

23:28 What we often hear is,

23:29 "This is the hardest thing we've ever done."

23:32 We're so glad we're doing it.

23:37 It's the best thing we've ever done.

23:40 That's the spirit of this.

23:44 I know we can do this.

23:47 I believe in us. I believe in Utah.

23:49 Now look, I know that foster care is not for everyone.

23:52 Not everyone can do this,

23:53 but everyone can do something.

23:55 Even if you're not in a place right now where you can do this,

23:58 and more of you are than think you are.

24:00 Go home, have this conversation with your family.

24:04 Ask yourselves this question, can we do this?

24:07 Let's give it a try.

24:08 But if not, probably all of you know someone who is fostering,

24:16 within your faith group,

24:18 within your neighborhood, maybe an employee in your company,

24:21 and you can help them out.

24:23 What I would ask is for you to go to them and say,

24:26 "What can we do to help you?

24:27 Can we bring you a pizza every Friday night for the next six months?

24:31 Can we do even more?

24:34 Can we get trained as respite care so that we can give you a break?

24:38 Because you need those breaks.

24:40 Let us watch the kids while you get to go,

24:42 and there is certain training you have to do to be able to do that."

24:45 But those are the things that all of us can do.

24:47 This is it. This is the stuff.

24:49 When we say we're the best state in the nation and the most generous state in the nation,

24:53 now it's time to put our actions where our mouths are.

24:58 This is how we prove that we really are the most generous state in the nation.

25:03 You will likely in your faith congregations,

25:06 hopefully be hearing from your pastors and your bishops and

25:09 others as they read letters encouraging you to foster.

25:13 But this is our call.

25:14 We want all of you right now,

25:17 right now wherever you are,

25:18 wherever you're listening, wherever you're reading this,

25:20 thanks to our media partners who are going to broadcast this.

25:22 But we need you all to go to utahfostercare.org.

25:27 utahfostercare.org for more information about becoming a foster parent.

25:33 I believe that over the next few weeks,

25:36 we are going to see an overwhelming response.

25:39 That we are going to have a set a new record for the number of people requesting to become

25:44 foster families especially for those ages nine and over and for those with siblings.

25:51 These can be the most challenging but also the most rewarding as you've heard today.

25:56 We're so proud of this state.

25:58 We love the people in the state and we love our most vulnerable.

26:00 We're calling upon all of you to help us take care of our most vulnerable.

26:04 Thank you so much for being here.

26:06 [APPLAUSE]

Gov. Spencer Cox Calls On Utah Families To Be More Involved In Foster Care Programs

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