Jack Jacqua is a familiar and friendly face in juvenile hall, the courts, youth and adult prisons, community groups as well as the streets of San Francisco.  Co-founder of the Omega Boys Club, Jacqua has been advocating for children’s rights for over 35 years.  Jacqua volunteers his time to act as a mentor, friend and counselor for youth across the city; his tireless efforts to support and encourage San Francisco youth are a testimony to his selfless nature.  As part of a community of providers who work to improve long-term outcomes for foster youth, SFCASA finds Jacqua’s contributions remarkable and inspiring.  For more information on Jacqua and his involvement in the local community, please click here.

A group of politicians gathered in East San Jose in search of solutions to the disproportionate number of Latino youth in foster care in Santa Clara County when compared to the number of Latino foster youth in the state, or 64.1% against 46.8%. Many involved in the discussion stressed the importance of Spanish-speaking social workers and Latino foster parents, while some former foster youth expressed frustrations at the lack of education about services provided to their parents before they were removed. Texas was used as an example of success in recruiting Latino foster parents as the state collaborates with Latino community organizations in this recruitment. Kentucky was mentioned as well for offering “free college education and extended health benefits to foster youth pursuing degrees.” Click here to read more.