PHOENIX — Fostering a child is a gift so many in our community are willing to give and right now in Arizona, roughly 14,000 kids are in the foster care system.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety says its goal is to provide a stable and loving family until a child can safely return home.
Lisa and Liam Hall, a mother and son duo, are providing stability for one 6-year-old girl. Three days after receiving her foster care license, Lisa received news that her home was needed.
The experience she has allowed herself and her son to have since November is proving to be life-changing.
“So the next morning (after coming to her home) she says to me, ’That was the best sleep I ever had in my life,’” said foster mom Lisa Hall.
Without giving specifics, ABC15 has learned the girl, who we will name Eve to conceal her identity, had been neglected at the hands of her mother.
“She’d sit at work all day at a fast-food restaurant with her mom and do whatever she could do to keep busy. It’s sad that she hasn’t been given the opportunity to just be a child,” added Hall.
Lisa shared with us that Eve often ate a meal at a convenience store like QT, lacking in nutritional food. She also shared a room with her mother.
“She has told her mom that she likes this house better than their home,” added Lisa. "I am here to help her win and we need to be the team that helps her win.”
Since coming to Lisa, Eve's behavioral issues have lessened and school performance has increased.
"She’s doing great in this program and it is the right program that she needed to excel.”
Lisa says she’s unsure how long Eve will stay but admits her goal is not necessarily to adopt but to help Eve’s mom learn how to parent, so that Eve can one day be reunited with her family.
“Ideally what I would love to see is that her mom eventually come around and say thank you. Not necessarily to me, but to have an appreciation for what I have provided her daughter and appreciate my presence even beyond fostering.”
According to DCS, the number one reason why children are removed from the home is neglect.
“During the pandemic, we have seen our hotline call volume go down as children have less visibility in the community,” said a spokesperson for the government agency.
DCS asks the public to consider becoming foster parents and changing a child’s life forever.
For more information you can call 1-877-543-7633 or visit their website.