Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
In 2023, there were 13,253 children living in foster care in New York State, according to data from the website of the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York (AFFCNY). This non-governmental Coalition is dedicated to uniting foster, adoptive, and kinship care families, giving them a voice and providing them with support, information, and advocacy. By fostering communication and collaboration among families, agencies, and committed citizens, they seek to ensure the stability, well-being, and permanency of all children. A fundamental pillar of the Coalition’s mission and operations is its commitment to ensuring that its staff reflects the families it serves.
I recently spoke on my show La Voz con Mariel Fiori on Radio Kingston en Español with two parenting support specialists from the coalition, Rosalyn Rivera and Felix Ángel Márquez, to learn about the resources, support, and opportunities available to adoptive and foster families.
“We work with everyone. We help all families. If you’re a family that isn’t raising your biological children, we’re the organization for you,” said Félix Márquez, adding that more than 90% of all employees are part of one of those same types of families and have had firsthand experience. In his case, “I have four adopted children; they are siblings to each other, all from the same mother. That’s why I originally came here, to seek help from the coalition. And after I stayed here for so long, they offered me a job because I learned so much. And I’m still learning and passing that information on to everyone else.”
Rosalyn Rivera, on the other hand, is a foster mother: “I was raising my nieces and nephews, my sister’s children, because she needed help. I helped her for a few years. I also have friends who left their kids with me for a few months. That’s my experience with helping children.”
How do they help foster families caring for children on a temporary basis? The Coalition offers a range of support, information, and advocacy services. They connect families with one another and with professionals, such as trusted therapists and advocates. They provide families (and the professionals who work with them) with trauma-informed training, workshops, and resources so they can make informed decisions and meet each child’s unique needs. In addition, they amplify the voices of parents, caregivers, and the children they raise to drive systemic change, so that families of all configurations can thrive. They have a hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1(888) 804-3575.
They also provide support to adopted adults. Rivera notes that “we have employees who are adopted as well, and that gives us a perspective we wouldn’t otherwise have. When you’re raised in someone else’s home, whether it’s your uncle, aunt, grandmother, or a complete stranger, it makes a difference. There aren’t many places where people can talk about that, address it, and find understanding. In some cases, people look alike, my family is Hispanic, I’m Hispanic, so we look alike. But in other cases, they might be from different races or cultures, and there’s something missing in their lives. We have many online and in-person groups for adopted people and those who went through foster care, and in the last three or four years, we’ve added kinship care, which is very common, like what Rosalyn is doing. Anyone would think that being raised by someone in the family is easier, but it isn’t. It’s harder because those parents have to keep the law, the court, and social services in mind, and on top of all that, they have their cousins and other relatives who are sometimes against you because you have to follow the law.”
After serving as a foster mother to several children, Rivera is now taking classes to adopt and become an adoptive mother, in addition to raising her own biological daughters. Why? “I love kids,” she confesses, adding, “I can’t stand to see a child suffer and not help.”
Mariel Fiori
Director
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COPYRIGHT 2026
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
I recently spoke on my show La Voz con Mariel Fiori on Radio Kingston en Español with two parenting support specialists from the coalition, Rosalyn Rivera and Felix Ángel Márquez, to learn about the resources, support, and opportunities available to adoptive and foster families.
“We work with everyone. We help all families. If you’re a family that isn’t raising your biological children, we’re the organization for you,” said Félix Márquez, adding that more than 90% of all employees are part of one of those same types of families and have had firsthand experience. In his case, “I have four adopted children; they are siblings to each other, all from the same mother. That’s why I originally came here, to seek help from the coalition. And after I stayed here for so long, they offered me a job because I learned so much. And I’m still learning and passing that information on to everyone else.”
Rosalyn Rivera, on the other hand, is a foster mother: “I was raising my nieces and nephews, my sister’s children, because she needed help. I helped her for a few years. I also have friends who left their kids with me for a few months. That’s my experience with helping children.”
How do they help foster families caring for children on a temporary basis? The Coalition offers a range of support, information, and advocacy services. They connect families with one another and with professionals, such as trusted therapists and advocates. They provide families (and the professionals who work with them) with trauma-informed training, workshops, and resources so they can make informed decisions and meet each child’s unique needs. In addition, they amplify the voices of parents, caregivers, and the children they raise to drive systemic change, so that families of all configurations can thrive. They have a hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1(888) 804-3575.
They also provide support to adopted adults. Rivera notes that “we have employees who are adopted as well, and that gives us a perspective we wouldn’t otherwise have. When you’re raised in someone else’s home, whether it’s your uncle, aunt, grandmother, or a complete stranger, it makes a difference. There aren’t many places where people can talk about that, address it, and find understanding. In some cases, people look alike, my family is Hispanic, I’m Hispanic, so we look alike. But in other cases, they might be from different races or cultures, and there’s something missing in their lives. We have many online and in-person groups for adopted people and those who went through foster care, and in the last three or four years, we’ve added kinship care, which is very common, like what Rosalyn is doing. Anyone would think that being raised by someone in the family is easier, but it isn’t. It’s harder because those parents have to keep the law, the court, and social services in mind, and on top of all that, they have their cousins and other relatives who are sometimes against you because you have to follow the law.”
After serving as a foster mother to several children, Rivera is now taking classes to adopt and become an adoptive mother, in addition to raising her own biological daughters. Why? “I love kids,” she confesses, adding, “I can’t stand to see a child suffer and not help.”
Mariel Fiori
Director
back to top
COPYRIGHT 2026
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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