Natalie Cardenas Torres joins panel of inspirational speakers at Foster VC Kids Informational meeting, May 21 in Oxnard
Natalie Cardenas Torres, center. Courtesy photo
VENTURA COUNTY—Ventura County resident Natalie Cardenas Torres has always been drawn to a life of service, but she never imagined she’d be doing it by providing emergency shelter care for Ventura County’s foster youth. Torres’ lifelong dream was a career in law enforcement, but after being accepted to the Oxnard Police Department and just five years as a patrol officer, an injury forced her into early retirement.
“I always wanted to help the community,” said Torres. She began fostering in 1994 and 20 years later, after adopting and raising a daughter and two sons, it was their children who encouraged Torres and her husband to re-open their home to foster youth.
“My son said to me, ‘Mom, you helped us. We should help other children too’,” recalls Torres. Through Foster VC Kids, a division of Ventura County Children and Family Services, in the last two and a half years, the family has fostered over 14 Ventura County youth from infants to teens, all of whom have been safely and successfully reunited with their biological families.
Torres maintains relationships with many of her former foster children, and her experiences have taught her that as a foster family, you’re not always helping who you think you are. “I cared for a two-day old baby boy whose mom couldn’t take care of him after he was born,” says Torres. “All along I thought I was helping him, but it turns out I was helping his Mom too.” When the baby boy was reunited with his family, Torres and his birth mother developed a mother-daughter friendship, and she sees them both regularly.
On May 21st, Torres will join an inspirational panel of foster families, advocates, and former foster youth to share her story and discuss the state of foster care in Ventura County at a non-denominational informational meeting hosted by Foster VC Kids at All Saints Episcopal Church in Oxnard. May is Foster Care awareness month, and with over 1,000 youth still in need in Ventura County, foster youth from birth to teens need loving parents who will support them as if they were their own. The meeting is open to all and will provide aspiring foster families with comprehensive information about what it takes and how amazing it is to become a home for VC foster children.
The meeting is also expected to draw members of the VC Fire Department, Ventura and Oxnard Police Departments, health care industry employees, members of the faith-based community, and current foster families.
Event Information:
- Who: Foster VC Kids, a division of Ventura County Children and Family Services
- What: Ventura County Foster Parent Informational Meeting
- When: Saturday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
- Where: All Saints Episcopal Church, 144 South C Street, Oxnard, 93030
About Ventura County Human Services Agency, Foster VC Kids: Ventura County Human Services Agency (VCHSA) strengthens families, supports self-sufficiency and promotes safety, health, and well-being. All of their service areas operate and perform at the highest level to meet the needs of individuals, families, and the community by providing assistance, aid, and protection for foster youth and beyond. VCHSA demonstrates the ability to work in multicultural environments and ensures that policies, programs, and actions communicate respect for the dignity of all people.
Visit www.fostervckids.org for more information.