Press Release: Tiffany Haddish, Greg Louganis, & Marilyn Monroe Star In RaiseAChild’s Banner Campaign for Foster Care Awareness

New streetlight banner campaign celebrates RaiseAChild’s mission in highlighting three former foster youth who achieved greatness.

Los Angeles, CA, USA, Friday, April 10, 2020 – Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, in partnership with RaiseAChild, The Village Family Services, and KTLA 5 has decorated hundreds of streetlight poles throughout Los Angeles with images of three of the world’s most famous former youth in foster care. The new campaign featuring Tiffany Haddish, Greg Louganis and Marilyn Monroe aims to bring awareness to the nation’s dire need for loving foster and adoptive parents.

“The coronavirus pandemic has placed many families in uncertain circumstances due to unemployment, changes in family dynamics and heightened health concerns,” said Bobby D. Cagle, Director of Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. “Our goal for this campaign is to encourage people to imagine themselves as foster or adoptive parents and join our virtual orientations and trainings, so we are all better prepared in the aftermath.”

With May kicking off National Foster Care Month, RaiseAChild has enlisted the help of its new campaign stars, whose distinctive success stories all began within the foster care system, to highlight the amazing possibilities and potential of youth in foster care.

“At a young age, I experienced the pain in foster care of being separated from my siblings,” admitted comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish. “It was then that I decided to do what I could to assure foster children that they are loved and valued.”

“I was very fortunate that I was adopted at nine months,” says four-time gold medal diving champion, Greg Louganis. “I even had the opportunity to briefly meet the woman who fostered me. I have had amazing opportunities I never would have had otherwise. I am truly grateful.”

“A lesser-known part of Marilyn Monroe’s story is that she grew up in the foster care system. Similar to any child in foster care, Marilyn often craved the stability of loving parents and a permanent home,” said Katie Jones, VP Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), owner of the Marilyn Monroe Estate. “We’re honored to support RaiseAChild’s mission and bring awareness to this important cause.”

Running from April to mid-July, the collaborative banner campaign marks a county-wide effort to increase the number of foster and adoptive homes, particularly in Los Angeles County which manages the nation’s largest child welfare system with 35,000 children in care. In driving awareness about the current foster care system, RaiseAChild has discovered and guided people who are interested in becoming foster parents to provide children in foster care the support and love they need to achieve greatness.

“The one bright spot to come out of self-isolation, is an increased interest in learning about the foster and adoption process,” stated Rich Valenza, Founder and CEO of RaiseAChild. “We’re seeing increased attendance for our online orientations and hope to encourage even more people to learn how they can help children in foster care.”

CONTACTS:
Amara Suarez
L.A. County DCFS Public Affairs
(213) 739-6448
suarea@DCFS.LACounty.gov

Jamie Hector
RaiseAChild
JamieSHector@gmail.com
(973) 536-6709

View Full Press Release

 

Back to Top

Child Protection Hotline

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Toll Free within California

(800) 540-4000

Outside of California

(213) 639-4500

TDD - Hearing Imparied

(800) 272-6699