Foster Care Review Board Seeks Volunteers

There are more than 160 children in foster care in Mohave County and the number of children entering foster care continues to grow. The Arizona Supreme Court is seeking citizens who wish to serve as volunteers on the Foster Care Review Board (FCRB) in Kingman.

The Foster Care Review Board was established in 1978 by Arizona statute to review, at least every six months, the case of each child in an out-of-home placement and subject to a dependency action. The purpose of these reviews are: to determine and advise the juvenile court of the adequacy of efforts and progress towards placement of the child in a permanent home; to encourage and facilitate the return of each dependent child to his/her family whenever possible; to promote and encourage stability in the child’s placement; and to assist in informing parents and others of their rights and responsibilities regarding a dependent child in foster care.

Volunteers are appointed by the presiding juvenile court judge in the county to fill vacancies on the five-member boards. New board member orientation and on-going training are provided to volunteers. In Arizona, there are over 500 volunteers serving as FCRB members serving on 103 review boards statewide. Each month, boards will review hundreds of cases of children in out-of-home care.

Each volunteer is assigned to one review board which meets monthly for approximately eight hours on a weekday. Additionally, volunteers must be able to commit approximately four to six hours at home reviewing case information in preparation for the case review. Review board members are not paid; however, they are eligible for reimbursement for mileage and subsistence according to state regulations.

For more information or applications, contact Jonni Wolfe, Community Outreach Specialist at
602/542-9406 or call our toll free number at 1-800-732-8193. Information is also available on our web site at www.azfcrb.org