Jayne Amelia speaks with foster alum Elizabeth Garcia Herrera. Liz and her sisters (America's story is Episode 16 of Season 3) were placed in foster care when their mother could no longer look after them. Liz was 17 and spent several confusing years struggling to get on her feet but she put herself through college and now works as a supervisor in child welfare. She's married with two small children and her mom helps to care for them.

Elizabeth is a Program Supervisor for the Healthy Families America Home Visitation program at SHIELDS for Families. Before being promoted to a Supervisor, Elizabeth was a Family Support Specialist (Home Visitor) with the Healthy Families America program for seven years. In her role as a Family Support Specialist, Elizabeth promoted healthy and secure attachments between parents and babies, delivering in-home services to families with children from in utero to five years of age. Elizabeth attained her Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) certification in 2021, and remains passionate about promoting a secure bond and attachment and healthy babies by promoting and educating families on breastfeeding. She is planning to pursue the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification. Elizabeth currently works with families in supporting a team of Family Support Specialists in a Program which its mission is to help prevent child abuse by educating and helping families in attaining the needed protective factors that prevent the involvement of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and support families with these cases as well.

Elizabeth graduated with a Bachelors in Social Work at California State Long Beach in 2014, and is married and a mother of two boys ages one and six years old (and continues to breastfeed her youngest). Elizabeth is also a passionate Christian and is involved in her church as a Greeter, Leader and student Coach. Elizabeth hosts weekly Women's Bible Study Groups and supports and encourages women to grow in their faith and receive healing and freedom following her church's vision to "bring God's freedom to this generation."

Families Uniting Families
Shields For Families

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