GoDaddy founder's foundation gives $250K to help foster kid program in Arizona

A Valley billionaire is giving a $250,000 grant to an effort in Arizona to help foster children in the state’s system.

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the former GoDaddy founder’s public efforts, is giving the money to the California-based National Center for Youth Law’s FosterEd Arizona initiative.

The funding will allow the FosterEd Arizona to serve students for a final year while completing a planned transition to ensure the services they have received continue.

“Youth in Arizona’s foster system are the real recipients of this grant funding,” said Michelle François, senior director of the National Center for Youth Law’s Compassionate Education Systems Initiative, in a press release.

“This gift rounds out a six-year partnership with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and ensures that these students aren’t left behind and that they continue to have access to many of the same or similar supports that have proven life-changing for so many young people over the past decade of our FosterEd Initiative.”

FosterEd Arizona launched in Pima County in 2014 as a demonstration site. It ensures Arizona students in foster care are supported by an educational champion and an inter-agency education team.

The FosterEd team partners with each student, providing consistent engagement and long-term support to help each student reach their educational goals.

With investment from the State of Arizona and private partners like The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, officials the program expanded in 2018 to include Maricopa and Yavapai counties, helping it reach 80% of students in foster care in the state.

“Foster youth face many challenges, both in and out of the classroom,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and a Scottsdale resident. “FosterEd Arizona’s work ensures that education remains a top priority, providing stability for the child and hope for their future.”

The foundation has granted $1.25 million to FosterEd Arizona during the past six years. The funding has supported investments in research, evaluation, and the publication of five large-scale statewide reports. It has also provided training and technical assistance for professionals in schools, DCS offices and communities throughout the state.

“FosterEd Arizona is providing foster children with an Education Champion,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Those champions ensure that children who might otherwise fall through the cracks have the necessary support they need, while advocating on their behalf and encouraging them to succeed.”