Historically, Latino foster children everywhere have more often than not been placed in homes that are ethnically, culturally and linguistically unable to meet their needs, sometimes with nearly disastrous results. It was in an effort to change this system, and while embarking on the task of spearheading a unique, innovative, and unprecedented child welfare program, in Los Angeles County (California) that Niños Latinos Unidos, Foster Family Agency (NLU) was formed. Both its founders envisioned a program in which they could cater to the specialized needs of a growing Latino population in the child-welfare system. Among its many challenges for the new millennium, NLU has embarked in the process of creating a program dubbed "Rancho Niños Latinos" (RNL), intended in part as a response to the more pressing bio-psychosocial needs of County served Latino teenagers.

While RNL is envisioned to house a residential facility, along with a magnet-type high school, it also hopes to house a vocational training facility for emancipated and soon to be emancipated youth, as well as an active recreational program that will seek involvement from the community at large. This program in the making is not a lofty dream, but in fact a well thought-out response to the realities of the youth in low socioeconomic communities. The NLU administration is convinced that the long-term benefits of this program are such that, given a wide acceptance, it will no doubt work to substantially increase the ranks of productive (tax-paying) members in our society.

It is beyond NLU's ability to bear all of the expenses that are involved in the process of making "Rancho Niños Latinos" a reality. We are thus at this time forced to make what is for us an unprecedented calling, asking you and any charitable soul that you may know to help us. In helping, while generously giving us your tax deductible contribution (donation) of any amount that you desire to give. By helping us in spearheading this program, you are in effect becoming an aiding member to a far-reaching task of helping in the creation of a model that others emulate while launching programs that are responsive to the long term betterment of children currently stuck in the welfare system. We thank you in anticipation for your generosity, and further welcome your questions regarding RNL, or even thoughts on how we may better work to help to forge stronger communities.