More than a home: Preserving Native American culture through foster care

I urge every Arizonan who values cultural connection — to consider fostering. Our children deserve shelter, but also they deserve history, language, ceremony, cultural conversations and traditions and a sense of belonging. When we open our homes, we don't just nurture children; we sustain communities.”

In Arizona, 12% of children in foster care are of Native American descent — but heartbreakingly, only about 3% of foster homes reflect their culture. This stark gap matters deeply because it shows how easily a child can lose their sense of identity, their connection to ancestors, language, tradition and home

As a Native mother, foster parent and adoptive mom to three beautiful children, I know how essential it is for kids to stay rooted in their heritage while in care.

My journey began in 2012 when my husband, Tecumseh, and I became foster parents after working with Tribal Social Services and Arizona Department of Child Safety. In just 12 months, we welcomed three newborns — the youngest arriving at just 2 days old — all Native siblings and far too young to know and maintain their traditions or native language.

Navigating court dates, paperwork, sleepless nights and longing for a path forward, we learned quickly that maintaining cultural connection isn’t a luxury; it’s a sacred lifeline. 

That deep need inspired me in 2014 to found Three Precious Miracles — a nonprofit organization providing culturally sensitive support and resources for Native children in foster care.

From basic care packages to training and cultural events, our mission is to ensure displaced children don’t lose their cultural identity in the system. Over the last decade, we’ve supported  thousands of children, but there remains a gap too wide to ignore. We need more Native foster parents that can keep Native children rooted in their culture.

When children grow up separated from their traditions, we risk erasing their sense of belonging. In foster care, the best scenario is a child returning home to a family that’s improved their living situation and learned how to better support their child.

If that’s not possible, a child remaining connected to their birth family is the next best option and with both, it’s important for children to retain their culture: the taste of fry bread, the rituals of ceremonies, the healing power of family songs and prayers, even having their hair braided is a foundation of belonging. When these practices are disrupted, a child’s sense of self may be, too. 

For Native children, the Indian Child Welfare Act rightly emphasizes cultural continuity through kinship, and tribal placement is vital. With only 3% of foster homes currently reflecting Native heritage, we need more homes and hearts that understand tribal values of respect, community and ceremony. We need caregivers who can teach children their language, guide them through sacred customs and sit with them in ceremony and nurture their souls.

This need extends far beyond Native communities. Foster children come from varied backgrounds — Latin American, African American, Asian American and more. Each child deserves caregivers who share their cultural touchstones. Matching ethnic and cultural background is more than representation, it’s reassurance.

Every child deserves a home that knows the stories their ancestors told, the songs sung. Representation isn’t just about faces—it’s about feeling seen, heard and understood.

To families that have ever felt called to foster, I say: You are needed. Consider what traditions you could preserve — the Sundays at church, the family recipes, the rites of passage you uphold. Are you ready to become part of a story that helps a child hold on when the world feels uncertain? Because that’s what cultural fidelity offers: a compass pointing to who they are, even when life feels uncertain.

Arizona’s Department of Child Safety is constantly working to recruit culturally diverse foster families. Yet recruitment alone won’t close the gap — we all must actively support and encourage it. Talk to your tribe, your church, your community leaders. Organize cultural mentoring groups. Host dinners or workshops to help families understand how to care for children from diverse backgrounds. Every voice helps.

When children feel seen and understood, they are more likely to thrive in school, in relationships and in healing from loss. Their culture becomes a source of resilience and pride. 

I speak from lived experience. My husband and I were guided into this journey by the Creator, and the blessings we’ve received in return have been beyond anything we imagined. Our three children are not only the heart of our family, they’re the reason Three Precious Miracles exists.

I urge every Arizonan who values cultural connection — to consider fostering. Our children deserve shelter, but also they deserve history, language, ceremony, cultural conversations and traditions and a sense of belonging. When we open our homes, we don't just nurture children; we sustain communities.

The future is calling and our children are waiting for a home that mirrors them, affirms them and celebrates them. Will you be the one to stand up, say “yes” and help preserve culture one child at a time?

Editor’s note: Elisia Manuel is a Native Arizonan, foster care parent and founder of Three Precious Miracles, a Sacaton-based nonprofit supporting Native children since 2014. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.