Foster Care and Adoption

Catholic Charities foster care program helps qualified individuals and couples become licensed foster parents. Our case managers facilitate the initial training and continue to provide ongoing training, resources and support. We recruit and support foster parents, therapeutic foster parents, kinship foster parents and unaccompanied minor foster parents.

Monday, 17 April 2017

A Passion for Helping Children

Renee Livas is a social worker with a passion for serving foster care families and children in the system.

Livas was not always a social worker. She explains, “I worked in various other fields before starting my career at Catholic Charities. I held fairly lucrative, high-roller type of business jobs that were exciting, but I lacked a passion for them. Something was tugging at my heart strings to do more for others.”

A Passion for Children and FamiliesLivas picture

After moving to Arizona due to health issues in her family, Livas had an opportunity to become involved in the opening of a charter school.

Between the birth of her son in 1995 and the charter school opening opportunity in 1996, Livas discovered her passion for working with children and families. After the school closed due to funding in 2005, Livas wanted to continue working in a field where she could positively impact the lives of children, and started her career at Catholic Charities in foster care.

“I finally found something that I felt very drawn to and passionate about, to which the answer for me was helping children. The birth of my son sparked this passion in me,” said Livas. “I finally feel completely fulfilled and right at home in the foster care and adoption program at Catholic Charities.”

Supporting Foster Families

Livas is locally known for her excellent work with families and children in foster care. Danielle and Corky worked with Livas to foster children and to adopt a son. Danielle says that Livas makes “you feel like you’re the only person, she just makes each family feel like a priority.”

Livas not only provides support and stability for program participants, but also implements services to meet the needs of the children and families in the program.

“Working with families and children has brought me more joy, success and accomplishment than any other job ever could. My true passion is adoptions, and I am grateful for every single day that I get to impact the lives of families and children.”

Livas has worked for Catholic Charities for more than 10 years and is committed to continuing to her passion of working with children.

For more information or to become involved, please contact Catholic Charities at 602-285-1999 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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