Arizonans for Children

You have until midnight tonight to claim the AZ Foster Care Tax Credit for 2018. This is a dollar for dollar tax credit on what you may owe the state of Arizona. As of February 2019 there are 13,792 children in the Arizona foster care system. Between July 1, 2018 - January 31, 2019 8,248 children were removed from their homes in Maricopa County. The Arizonans for Children Visitation Centers are where many of these children will have visits with their parents and siblings as  they work towards reunification. Did you know that Arizonans for Children is not state or federally funded at all? Did you know that every service provided to families experiencing time in foster care is completely FREE? Arizonans for Children doesn't charge foster placements, group homes, any caregiver, DCS or the parent aid agencies. Did you know there are several different types of AZ Tax Credits and you can claim them all? Up to $500 if you file as single and up to $1000 for joint retu...

I t's not too late!! There is still one more week to claim the AZ Foster Care Tax Credit for 2018! There are several tax "credits" you can claim in the state of Arizona that are dollar for dollar credits on what you may owe the state. A tax payer can claim them all! The Foster Care tax credit is $1000 if you file a joint return and $500 if you file single. Find our more about tax credits here: https://azdor.gov/tax-credits To claim the Foster Care Tax Credit click: http://www.arizonansforchildren.org/page/supporting-arizonans-for-children When you choose to support Arizonans for Children 100% of your donations go directly to children's programs and never marketing or advertising. You can designate where you would like your contribution directed. Visitation Center to help families heal. Mentor program to help kids in the foster care system go from statistic 2 success. Special events that give the kids a time to celebrate and just enjoy life. STEM Pi-oneer ...

Imagine.....being removed from your family and your home. Being taken away from everything you know. Maybe you could grab something that is important to you, maybe not. Imagine seeing your parents taken away by law enforcement. Imagine the trauma in your life that brought you to this place in time. The stress, the worry, the uncertainty, the emotions. Now imagine as if you are that child the first time you see your parents and siblings after all of that happened. You ar e in a different home with new rules, new foods, a new place to sleep, new school, surrounded by new people....new everything. The Arizonans for Children Visitation Centers are places where families in foster care come while working towards reunification. The centers are judgement free - we don't know what brought the family to this point and that is OK, we don't need to know. What we do know if that the time at the centers allow for happy memories to be created. Memories that can help heal the trau...

The next Arizonans for Children STEM Pi-oneer class is getting ready to start and as I prepare and plan the importance and value of this class are in the forefront of my thoughts. Kids in the foster care system do not have access to technology.  How are they doing their homework?  Their life circumstances set them apart from other kids, lack of technology only makes it harder for them. In the Arizonans for Children Pi-oneer program the kids assemble a Raspberry Pi micro computer, download the operating system, explore the vast functionality of the Pi, learn about the importance of internet safety and security as well as learn basic coding and programming.  At the end of the final class the kids that have attended all classes take the entire computer system with them. Every aspect of this class is geared to the population Arizonans for Children serves, kids in the foster care system. The micro computer itself is very inexpensive and not a lot of people understa...

Did you know that you can still claim the 2018 AZ Foster Care Tax Credit? This is a dollar for dollar credit on what you may owe the state of Arizona. $1000 if you file a joint return and $500 if you file as single! Claim your tax credits before they become extinct. You have until April 15, 2019 to claim the 2018 tax credits! Arizonans for Children, Inc is a 501(c)3 Tax ID 02-0651198 qualifying Foster Care charitable organization under the AZ Income Tax Credit Program Please send checks to: Arizonans for Children, Inc. 2435 E. La Jolla Drive Tempe, AZ 85282 Or donate on line at: www.arizonansforchildren.org

When I first started working with children in foster care I was shocked to realize that many kids have zero access to technology in their group homes or foster placements. How are they doing homework without access to technology? When the need becomes apparent, Arizonans for Children finds a way to meet the need. We started the STEM Pi-oneer class that upon completion of a series of classes the child takes the entire computer system with them. A fully functioning micro com puter called a Raspberry Pi, a monitor, mouse and key board to every single child that completes the class series! In the class the kids build/assemble their Pi, learn basic programming languages, explore the vast functionality of the computer all while having workshops and presentations on things like neuroscience, financial literacy and internet safety and security. Arizonans for Children goal - every school age child in the foster care system have their own computer system. There are several ways y...

In the spirit of Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday and Cyber Monday - Giving Tuesday is a global initiative of giving back.  Join Arizonans for Children on a global day of giving this  #GivingTuesday Arizonans for Children provides services for children in the foster care system. We have 2 Visitation Centers where kids come to spend time with their parents and siblings in a fun, vibrant, non-judgmental and safe environment. These centers allow healing and bonding as the families work towards reunification. Even if the child is never reunified with their parents; time at the center allows healing memories to be created that help with what ever trauma brought them into care.  Our Tutor/Mentor program matches school age children in foster care with volunteers from the community. Just 8 hours a month and a year commitment will change the life of a child in care, your life too. Arizonans for Children does much more to support our community. From STEM classes, t...

Need something to get you in the holiday spirit?  Watch this video from the Arizonans for Children Annual Holiday part for children in foster care.   Holding a toy drive is an effective and easy way to help.  Would your work, your gym, your church, your school, your neighborhood, your club, your youth group consider holding a donation drive? Have you claimed the AZ Foster Care Tax Credit for 2018?  You can designate this to go directly to the Holiday Party....you decide where your tax dollars go! http://www.arizonansforchildren.org/page/supporting-arizonans-for-children Shop the Arizonans for Children Amazon Smile Wish List!  If you choose Arizonans for Children as the charity then .5% of the purchase price supports Arizonans for Children and the kids we serve and the toys are shipped directly to our Visitation Center ready to get wrapped for the party! Arizonans for Children Amazon Smile Wish List

For years Arizonans for Children has held an annual holiday party for children in foster care, often times this party is the only holiday type event these kids get to experience. Think about this.....for most of the kids this party signifies another year in "the system" so we work to make it the most memorable time they can have.   Every child and caregiver that come to the party will have a full holiday meal of turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing and more!  After eating the kids move to the gym where there is a DJ, Santa, Star Wars characters, dancing, games and most importantly sibling visits.  There are sibling groups that are placed in different foster and group homes that get to see each other and have the holiday together at this party. All of the kids that come to this party get a bag of gifts!  Every bag has a made blanket, a book and a stuffed animal along with 3-5 really fantastic...

Arizonans for Children is a 501 (c) 3  charitable organization  and therefore your donation is tax deductible if you itemize your Federal income tax return. Under Arizona law ( A.R.S. 43-1088.G.2--tax credit for donations to a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization ) Arizonans for Children, Inc. is a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable organization and cash donations  are entitled to a  tax credit of $500 for single individuals and $1,000 for married couples filing jointly  on the Arizona tax return.  This credit can reduce taxes for these tax filers more than a regular deduction for contributions to charitable nonprofits, because they may get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes owed.  A tax credit is significantly more beneficial than a tax deduction.  A tax credit reduces your taxes, dollar-for-dollar. A tax deduction reduces the taxable income upon which your tax liability is calculated. You do not need to itemize ...

Want to help kids in foster care? Here are a few easy ways: *Share social media posts *Choose Arizonans for Children when shopping Amazon Smile *Link your Fry's card with Arizonans for Children for the community reward program *Claim the AZ Foster Care Tax Credit *Volunteer with Arizonans for Children # fostercare   # ArizonansforChildren   # frys   # amazon   # amazonsmile   # aztaxcredit # volunteer   # soeasy