Asian Foster Family Initiative
KFAM is the nation’s first and only Asian Pacific Islander (API)-focused Foster Family Agency with services available in Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The Asian Foster Family Initiative (AFFI) recruits and trains API resource (foster) families to provide culturally sensitive homes to API foster children.
KFAM - AFFI has been CARF certified since 2019. CARF accreditation means that KFAM - AFFI is committed to reducing risk, addressing health and safety concerns, respecting preferences of individuals (cultural or otherwise) and providing the best quality of care possible.
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Annually, in the U.S., there are over 400,000 children in the foster care system. These children are temporarily removed from their parents’ care due to neglect, abandonment, and/or abuse. In contrast, only 200,000 Resource (Foster) families are available to take care of them. In Los Angeles County alone, there are nearly 35,000 children in foster care, but only about 3,000 Resource (Foster) homes. These children are survivors of abandonment, abuse and neglect. They are in dire need of loving and caring families.
In Los Angeles County, there are over 600 Asian American Pacific Islander (API)children in the foster care system. However, there are only a few approved API Resource (Foster) families who may serve as a culturally-appropriate match. Children of immigrant households often do not learn English until they start Kindergarten or later. Being placed in non-API Resource (Foster) homes that lack knowledge about the children’s language, food or culture can compound the existing anxiety, confusion and trauma.
If you are interested in helping but do not believe you have the ability to take in a child, consider volunteering with us! Please fill out the volunteer application form below and email it to sslee@kfamla.org. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to 213-235-4869 for more information.
Interested applicants should complete the
