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StepStone Family & Youth Services Foster Care Recruitment Manager Elisia Manuel was selected as a 2024 CNN Hero . Elisia’s personal journey as a foster parent and adoptive mother led her to start her nonprofit organization, Three Precious Miracles . The volunteer-run organization supports and provides resources to vulnerable Native American youth and their families.
“There’s thousands of Native children that are in care. I want kids to come and feel like their sense of identity and culture is right there,” Elisia says. “I really want all these kids to know that they’ll always be accepted, they’ll be loved, and know where they come from.”
Elisia’s professional commitment is unwavering. She collaborates closely with Arizona tribes to place Native American children in foster care and educate foster families about the process and current laws. Her active involvement in the Native community is evident through her service on numerous organizations, including the Arizona Department of Child Safety Advisory Committee, Phoenix Indian Center Urban Indian Coalition ICWA Sub Committee, Arizona Friends in Foster Care Scholarship Committee, First Things First Gila River Council, Johnson O-Malley for Casa Grande, and the Native Americans Women’s Conference. Elisia’s dedication to community outreach is demonstrated through her direct work with youth in care, providing workshops that connect them to their heritage through food, music, and the arts.
Read the full article here .