About Us

Sierra Association of Foster Children

Positive Parenting Together

SAFF Offers:

TUTORING: In-Home/after school academic tutoring in Math, English, History, Geography, Spanish and the sciences to children and teens in Washoe County’s foster care system. Our vulnerable youth need additional tutoring and mentoring to progress academically and prevent dropping out of school in later years.

BIRTH and FOSTER PARENT TRAINING/MENTORING: Offering training, support, mentoring, and advocacy, SAFF offers services to help foster and birth parents work together to help strengthen and nurture child-parent re-unification and create family permanency.

WASHOE COUNTY AND RURAL NEVADA PEER MENTORING PROGRAM: SAFF had received a grant from the Nevada Supreme Court to design and facilitate a peer based mentoring program for newly licensed foster parents. SAFF had trained 23 volunteer mentors in Washoe County and 14 mentors in rural areas of Northern Nevada who offered mentoring services to all foster parents. SAFF is working on bringing this valuable program back to full speed.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – ZUMBA: SAFF’s newest program to help children and teens in foster care reduce obesity, poor body image, and low self-esteem with weekly participation in the fun and energetic ZUMBA dancing classes for children – ZUMBATOMICS!

ADVANCED TRAININGS: SAFF has facilitated advanced training’s for foster parents. Training’s included: HEALING FROM GRIEF AND LOSS DUE TO DISRUPTION, PREVENTING ACADEMIC DISRUPTION OF FOSTER TEENS, KINSHIP FOSTERING AND ADOPTING, and POSITIVE DISCIPLINE.

TEEN SUPPORT GROUP: SAFF had facilitated a monthly TEEN SUPPORT GROUP providing arts-in-education programs to foster teens ages 13-18. Once a month 20-30 youth in foster care attend the 3 hour sessions where they participate in painting, drawing, and creative writing programs with themes related to the prevention of academic disruption. This program was made possible by a grant from the Hawkins Foundation.

The Carson City Foster and Adoptive Home Recruitment and Support Coalition: SAFF has co-created with CASA the CCFAHRS Coalition. Once a month, SAFF and CASA of Carson City meet with foster and adoptive parents, community agencies, and DCFS to design programs/projects for recruitment, training, and retention of foster and adoptive parents in Carson City, Douglas County, and other rural Nevada areas including Pahrump.

LIFE BOOKS PROGRAM: Washoe County Services, SAFF has a Life Books Program. Foster parents – can come and get supplies to work on life books for the foster children in their care.
MORE TO COME…

SPECIAL THANKS TO COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS

Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle Foundation, Wells Fargo-Otto Huth Foundation, National Charity League, Women’s Junior League, Borders Book Store, Division of Child and Family Services, Unity Church of Reno, Victory City Church of Sparks, Teamwork’s Consulting/Teamwork’s Life Coaching, Scheels Athletic Store, Grand Sierra Resort, and all the other agencies, businesses, organizations, families, and individuals which make SAFF a successful service provider to children and teens in foster care.

Executive Director – Joseph Galata
Executive Board Members

Rose Santos, President

Stefanie Powell, Treasurer

Board Members

Mary Encarnacion, WCDSS

Michael Powell

Board Consultants

Cile Cogburn

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Sierra Association of Foster Families