What Is Desert Streams?

In Arizona and federally, about 49% of children in foster care are actually reunified with biological families after time in DCS custody. The average time for a child spent in foster care is 19 months. The top 3 reasons for removal are neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. The truth is a majority of bio parents who have had their children removed by DCS were once in foster care as children, experiencing those same circumstances and being molded by the same effects. How can we disrupt this cycle from repeating itself?

Introducing Desert Streams!

We are a Christian program dedicated to strengthening and reunifying families experiencing foster care in Phoenix, Arizona.

So, why Desert Streams, and how did we get here? My husband and I have been foster parents for almost 7 years. Through those years we’ve adopted our son, parented 7 children from infants to teens, and provided respite for over 30 children. We began this journey in response to the call of Jesus and our heart was determined to care for vulnerable children in need of a safe and loving home. While this is still undoubtedly the central focus of fostering, over the years we have felt our hearts swell to encompass the parents of the children in our care as well. We’ve realized many of these parents may not have the skills, experience or support systems to live healthy, functional lifestyles. These and other factors culminate in struggles in home safety and parenting their children. 

If unaddressed, trauma can be cyclical and generational. Simply “surviving” inevitably becomes the goal, putting overcoming personal trauma in the backseat.  This can lead to unhelpful coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, relational difficulties, loss of employment, and housing disruptions. It is easy to see how these can lead to beginning a new cycle 0f neglect and abuse towards their own children. 

Realistically, some parents are likely to reunify and some just simply are unlikely to do so. Keeping the risk of oversimplifying in mind, what are some factors that can influence those likely to reunify in a positive way? Every family and every case is different, and of course the safety concerns that placed the children in DCS care in the first place must be rectified. Overall though there are some common obstacles that must be addressed.

A major factor in reunification is if the parent is able to have safe and stable housing while working their case plan, and of course this needs to be in place for reunification to be possible. It is fundamental that a person have a safe place to call home in order to live securely, and even work towards the future. This is understandably linked to maintaining reliable employment and being able to provide for themselves and their children. Without adequate employment all other aspects of a stable life could be in jeopardy. Next, a sense of community and support can be both emotionally and physically vital for success in reunifying. Many parents express struggling with deep depression, isolation, and hopelessness when their children are removed. Having a community to live alongside the parents during this distressing time can give them the hope and courage to continue working their case plans. The case plans themselves and navigating DCS is often another overwhelming piece of the puzzle and many parents struggle to keep up with the demands and “to do’s” required of them. There are countless people, places, requirements, and more to accomplish before reunification is possible.

Many of these issues are not “for life” - they can be addressed, changed, grown-through and new skills developed. It is not based on “if they wanted to, they would” do the work - but rather, are they determined and willing to make the necessary changes, and do they have a support system involved to help them? Could more parents be likely to reunify with their children, and quicker, if they had more intentional help in overcoming these four specific barriers?

God began stirring in our hearts and minds. We quickly realized that this is the Church’s responsibility to step into the gap for these families. Therefore, as Christians, how can we use what we have been given along with our experience to develop this kind of support for more families?

We believe Desert Streams is the path that God is leading us down. With our knowledge, experience, and our own property we will begin this program in early 2025! Desert Streams will address the issues of housing, employment and education, and Christian community for parents of children in foster care, all while helping them navigate the DCS system for a successful family reunification.

We need your support! Will you join us in these efforts? 

Ways to partner:

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