Media Inquiries

 

About Richard Villasana and
Forever Homes for Foster Kids

Below are bios of varying lengths that can be used by your media for both Richard Villasana and Forever Homes for Foster Kids.

 

Byline

Richard Villasana is a leading international authority on immigration issues and foster families. He's the founder of Forever Homes for Foster Kids.

 


 

Short Bio

Richard Villasana, founder of Forever Homes for Foster Kids, is a leading international authority on immigration issues and foster families. A proud Navy veteran, Richard has been featured on CNN International, Associated Press, ABC TV, Costco Connections and The Washington Post. He is a columnist with Foster Focus Magazine and an international speaker. Richard was honored as a California Hero and has translated for the United Nations. He is a leading advocate for Latino foster children in the U.S. and featured on Latino media including Univision, Te Lo Cuento and EFE, the world’s largest Spanish language media company. For three decades, his nonprofit has worked with government agencies across the country to find families for immigrant and foster children to create a permanent home. For more information, email rvillasana@ForeverHomesforFosterKids.org.

 


 

Long Bio

Richard Villasana, a proud Navy veteran, is a leading international authority on immigration issues and foster families.

A monthly columnist for Foster Focus Magazine, he has been featured on CNN International, Univision, ABC TV, in U.S. magazines (Costco Connections, Foster Focus Magazine) and newspapers (AP News, Washington Post), in newspapers and magazines in Europe and Latin America and online about his expertise in locating family members. He has been interviewed on radio, podcasts and by EFE, the world's largest Spanish media company.

For nearly 30 years, his charity has worked with government agencies across the country to reunite immigrant and foster children with their families. Richard has helped more than 10,133 families find their relatives in the U.S., Mexico and other countries in Latin America.

He has spent decades working with Mexico and Latin America. Richard was a university professor at UABC, Tijuana, B.C. and has given presentations at some of Mexico’s largest institutions, associations and corporations such as Plantronics and Thermo Fisher.

Richard was honored as a California Hero. He has translated for the United Nations. Richard is also the leading advocate for Latino foster children in the U.S.

Our Org

 

Richard Villasana
receives award from
Senator Joel Anderson

"I could talk about the organization, but the most important part of this is the heart-warming (and heart-wrenching) cases and the messages from immigrant and foster children who so desperately want to find their birth parent. Reconnecting one of these kids is incredible."

Richard says, "While I was working internationally in Mexico, I learned I had a real talent for finding key government officials in Mexico for U.S. and foreign clients. Then some associates started to ask me to find their relatives: a brother, cousin, or an aunt. It was so exciting when I found someone's missing sister or birth mother. The emails of thanks made my week."

For more information, email rvillasana@ForeverHomesforFosterKids.org.

 


 

 

Publicity Images

 

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Interview Questions

 

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The Forever Homes for Foster Kids Story

Our Mission

Forever Homes for Foster Kids strives to make a positive, lasting impact on the lives of immigrant and foster children. We work tirelessly to find relatives of immigrant and foster youth with the goal of placing these kids in permanent and caring homes. For nearly 30 years, we have worked with agencies such as CASA, Casey Family Programs and Seneca Center to help reunite foster youths with their relatives.

 


 

Permanent Homes for Foster Youth

Currently, 47% of foster youths are placed in out-of-home foster care, without relatives. Research shows that when foster youth are placed with relatives, they have better educational outcomes, less risky behaviors and higher employment rates. By locating relatives for youths, we can improve the life outcomes for thousands of foster children. Forever Homes for Foster Kids has a proven track record of experience working successfully with agencies in many states including California, Texas, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. In these states, we have helped government agencies successfully locate and place numerous foster youth with their relatives.

 


 

Foster Youth Underserved

Many foster youths remain in foster care for several years and age out of the system because agencies are ill-equipped or understaffed to locate relatives. During their time in foster care, 30% of foster youth have lived with eight or more different families and 65% experienced seven or more school changes.

It is no surprise then that 46% of foster youth will not graduate from high school. By connecting these youth with relatives who can provide stable, loving care, we will give these children opportunities to succeed in school and life.

 


 

Proven Results

Forever Homes for Foster Kids is the leading international organization for getting U.S. foster children into permanent homes. For nearly 30 years, Forever Homes for Foster Kids has successfully located family members of foster children when government agencies have failed to do so.

Roughly eighty percent of our cases result in locating a parent, aunt, grandparent or other adult family members. Foster care agencies are then able to notify these relatives. This ensures that where possible, each foster child has at the very least a connection with their blood relatives. In the best of cases, relatives are found who will take in the child and give him/her a permanent, stable home. The numerous letters of appreciation we receive from families, foster youth and agencies speak to the impact we have made on the lives of foster youth in the U.S.

Our Org
If you have any questions, please contact Richard Villasana at 858-368-9700 or rvillasana@ForeverHomesforFosterKids.org.




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