The first lady of Guatemala visited a foster home in Jacksonville Monday to learn how the country can better serve its most vulnerable children.
Patricia Marroquín de Morales met the Bunsos, whose lives were forever changed when the family fostered Isabella three years ago.
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“She’s 3 now and we’ve had a number of placements since then,” Danae Bunso said. “(Fostering) is exciting, crazy -- all of the emotions you could possibly feel all bundled into one thing.”
Isabella is among the hundreds of children in Jacksonville who are considered foster children.
According to The Department of Children and Families, 816 children in Jacksonville were receiving out-of-home care as of Aug. 31.
Morales told Action News Jax that the need for foster families is also great in Guatemala.
“It is not something that is common in Guatemala culturally, but it is something we are looking to expand,” she said through a translator.
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One More Child has been working with children and families in Guatemala for nearly a decade.
The organization invited Morales to come see how its foster program works.
One More Child's RJ Walters says the organization served 253 foster children in Jacksonville in 2017
Some families live on campus while others care for children at their homes.
Walters says stable, loving homes for children can help fight child abuse, infant deaths, and child sex trafficking.
Morales and One More Child are partnering to better serve Guatemala’s most vulnerable children.
Their goal is to end child sex trafficking globally, and provide love and care for children worldwide.