About FOCS

OUR VALUES

These are the foundational values by which we work.

FOCS values:

• Mothers of Color: FOCS was birthed by mothers of color to create community “for us and by us." We continue to be guided and led by their wisdom, experience, and leadership.

• Centering Families of Color: We center the voices and experiences of families of color in our leadership and programs, uplifting those who have been most impacted by systemic oppression.

• Gender Inclusivity: We believe in gender inclusive mothering and parenting. We embrace our QTFOCS (Queer, Trans FOCS) and acknowledge that gender expansive families have existed in our communities of color since time immemorial.

• The Whole Self: We value the richness of our communities’ experiences. We welcome families to “come as you are” and help us build and create spaces that foster safety and community.

• Anti-Racism: We seek to dismantle systems of oppression and racial injustice in our work. We strive to incorporate anti-racist practices and policies in all aspects of our organizational culture and work.

• Intersectionality: We acknowledge that racism intersects with various forms of systematic oppression that exacerbate conditions for our community. We cannot have conversations or develop strategies to dismantle racism without also naming and addressing systemic oppression within health and reproductive systems, the education, language, legal, and other systems.

• Continuous Learning: We seek to deepen our understanding of anti-racism and systemic oppression. Guided by our families’ experiences and deep listening, we commit to continuous learning for ourselves as well as offering similar opportunities for our larger community.

• Cross racial and cultural solidarity: We value and celebrate the pride and diversity of our families of color. We believe that sharing these cultural connections amongst the larger community form the relationships necessary to work together in solidarity to dismantle white supremacy and advocate for brighter futures for our communities.