Foster care system faces renewed focus on reunification
A groundbreaking nonprofit, Be the Source, is expanding its support services to address critical gaps in the foster care and kinship care systems, offering a lifeline to families navigating complex reunification processes.
Breaking barriers: a new advocate’s mission
Founded in 2016, Be the Source initially focused on supporting foster families, but has now extended its vital services to kinship care families and, crucially, birth families whose children have been removed from their homes. The organization’s first Birth Family Advocate, Nikki Sanchez, is at the forefront of this shift, driven by a deeply personal understanding of the challenges involved.
Sanchez’s own experience – a 2022 removal due to domestic violence, followed by a period of homelessness and substance abuse – fuels her commitment. “It felt very hopeless,” she recounts. “I had no motivation.” She vividly remembers the feeling of being dismissed by caseworkers, a common thread for many birth parents struggling with the system.
A village of support
Sanchez’s role transcends traditional advocacy; she actively participates in court proceedings alongside her clients, meticulously working through treatment plans and securing access to essential resources. “My main goal is that when they are reunited with their kids they have everything that they need in place,” Sanchez stated to CBS News Colorado. This hands-on approach, coupled with a recognition of the stigma surrounding both foster and birth parents, is reshaping the landscape of support.
Sanchez credits the unwavering support of her foster parents – who provided everything from appropriate court attire to birthday celebrations – with reigniting her hope and trust. “They did things that they didn’t have to for me,” she explains, “and little by little my trust started coming, and I just saw how much they loved my kids, too.”
Tbri and healing
Be the Source is incorporating Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), a therapeutic approach championed by Raise the Future, into its client services. Sanchez herself credits TBRI with fundamentally changing her perspective and her ability to help others. “When I was in that class I was like, ‘I should have had this before I got my kids. This is soo, so useful,’” she shared. She now applies TBRI principles to aid her own children’s healing from their time in foster care.
Rebuilding a life, reconnecting families
Today, Sanchez is a thriving member of a blended Family of six, a testament to her resilience and the transformative power of support. “When I was reunified with my son, the way it was, it was so smooth. It was like a co-parenting thing,” she says. “And then I got my daughters back, and I had lost all of these services that I was getting when I had CPS in my life. I lost it all. They were there to help me, and if not, I would have been alone.”
A lasting impact
Sanchez’s story underscores the critical need for comprehensive support systems within the foster care ecosystem. She hopes to lessen the profound impact of the system on both birth parents and children, advocating for a more compassionate and effective approach. “I love my life,” she concludes with a smile, a powerful declaration of hope and determination.