OCJ Kids was created to change the culture of foster care in Arizona. OCJ, which stands for providing Opportunity, Community, and Justice, provides resources statewide to kids upon removal from their home. Very importantly, OCJ Kids maintains relationships with youth after they exit foster care. They provide ongoing support and resources to those “aging out” of foster care.
For more on the foundation, founder Gary Webb and co-founder, Tammie Webb joined “Arizona Horizon“.
Gary Webb said that they decided to start their foundation to address a need in their community that they did not see being met.
OCJ works to provide resources to the foster kids who age out of the system. Tammie Webb shared that job training, cell phones, and a “transition suitcase” with some of the essentials are just a few of the resources that the foundation is able to provide.
The foundation is also focusing on changing the culture around foster care in Arizona. Gary Webb said that the lack of focus on providing individualized care and resources for the kids in the foster care system is something that needs some work.
OCJ is working with local partners to create a new community impact center that aims to continue to provide individualized resources and address the system fatigue that is felt by those in the foster care system. One part of the new center is called the “Restoring Dignity Room”, and Tammie Webb shared the importance of creating that space.
“Statistically, 90% of the girls that are in care have been sexually abused. And when you combine that with the trauma that they’ve gone through already, that creates a firestorm for failure for these girls. So we wanted to create a place where they can come in, feel safe, and begin to learn how to take their power back,” Tammie Webb said.
Tammie Webb also added that the Restoring Dignity Room will “help them step into who they were created to be and not who that trauma is making them”.
The impact on the people they help can be felt and seen through the bonds that are created through the programs and resources that OCJ provides. It can even be as simple as making someone feel seen, according to Tammie Webb.
“They will come walking down the sidewalk shoulders hanging, heads down, quiet, sad. And as they get into that room and the interaction begins, he (Gary Webb) starts to hear the giggles, and he starts to hear the laughter. And by the time they leave, they are just bubbling everywhere,” Tammie Webb said.
