Holiday celebration held for foster families in New Mexico

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Holiday celebration held for foster families in New Mexico

A sense of normalcy and holiday joy. That was what a holiday celebration Sunday for foster families was designed for.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s Children Youth & Families Department put together its first-ever holiday celebration for foster families in Albuquerque.

Around 300 people were expected at the event Sunday. Longtime foster families hope this event starts a tradition to show children in-need that they are not alone during the holiday season.

“We’re looking for the children to have as much normalcy in their lives as possible,” James and Ramona Ruiz said. “This is a great event for the children. They enjoy coming to these themes and just the interaction with the other children, letting them know that they’re not alone and letting them also know that there’s foster parents out there that do a job for them. And we love them and we care for them as much as we can.”

The Ruiz family has been fostering for more than 15 years and have provided a home to at least 50 children.

Although we’ve had many children come getting out of their homes, it’s sad to see them go. We always accept the challenge of taking in new kids,” they said.

Challenges can take longer to overcome, especially when children have experienced trauma, like they said so many CYFD referrals have.

“When new children come into the home, they’re so scared, especially when they’re scared of adults,” they said.

CYFD is looking for additional foster families to meet those challenges and provide a quality foster home. If you’re interested, visit their website here.