Arizonans for Children

May is Foster Care Awareness Month  If you are wondering how you can help consider the Arizonans for Children Sack Meal Program. Volunteers pack lunches and deliver them to either Arizonans for Children Visitation Center.  This is a wonderful team building and family time opportunity!! Families having visits at our centers often bond and engage over a meal but many families do not have the resources to bring food to the visit. Sack meals can be as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple and a juice box. Volunteers packing the meal can even decorate the brown sack with inspirational and positive messages to encourage the families. If you would like to bring sack meals to either center please email az4children.laura@gmail.com with the date of drop off and the quantity you plan to bring. The Arizonans for Children Visitation Centers are located at: 1112 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix AZ 85013 and is open M-F 9-6 and Sat 10-2 1020 N. Horne, Me...

I asked my mentees last week if they wanted to go peach picking on Sunday with my wife and I, one of our annual traditions we try to do every year. I let them know that we would have to pick them up early that morning to get a head start on the hot weather. They agreed. Spontaneously I decided to go fishing Friday evening. I called the group home and asked if the home had any plans/activities and if my 2 mentees wanted to go with me. They both were eager to get out of the house for a few hours on a Friday night to go fishing. We tried canal “A” and after a while gave up on it and tried the other side of the overpass on canal “A”. We managed to get a few bites, which was exciting for the boys, even though there were no significant tugs on the line. We then decided to try this other canal spot I recently caught a few at. They managed to get a few more hits and then we finished the night with not one of us landing a catfish. Kind of a let down…I’ve been wanting...

As our current Visitation Center Coordinator makes plans for grad school we are actively accepting resume's for the position.  We wish Paige the very best and thank her for her positive attitude and commitment to helping families heal. The Visitation Center Coordinator is a vital position at Arizonans for Children and has to be filled with the right person.  We are a small staff so we need someone who is a team player, willing to help as needed and a problem solver.  Someone that identifies an issue and instead of focusing on what is wrong, finds a solution to make it right.   This is not a typical Monday - Friday position so flexibility is crucial. The right person will be able to lead a team of volunteers, focus on their strengths and motivate the team to be welcoming and nonjudgmental with everyone utilizing the visitation centers. If you are interested in this position please send a cover letter and resume to:  az4children.sv@gmail.c...

Spring was in the air last weekend at Arizonans for Children!  We had egg hunts at both Visitation Centers so that the families on site can create happy memories and share the Easter experience. From Visitation Center Coordinator Paige " I wish I was able to record the little boy who cams running outside yelling “EEEGGGGGSSSS” 🥚  Little kids, big kids, only blue egg loving kids - the Easter Egg Hunt at our Mesa Visitation Center was a huge success! No one left without a smile on their face today  🐰 Holidays are another milestone of time spent in the foster care system.  Thanks to our community and their generosity we can help make them memorable and fun. Arizonans for Children Mentor Kathy has 2 mentees.  2 little boys in foster care.  Kathy spends time with these boys taking them out for fun activities and experiencing new things.  She has changed their lives by showing them there is someone that will be there when the...

Another day in the office  🐰 🐰 We are "hopping" to have the Arizonans for Children STEM Pi-onner class available for more kids in foster care. Watch until the end.....we have some really good sports at Arizonans for Children! PS- the table shows the generosity of our community! Books from  Pygmy Giraffe Publishing  and  Susan R. Stoltz , My Thirty-one basket from  Charlotte and yummy goodies from  Cafe Valley Bakery  and  Raspberry Pi  from  PEM Cares . At Arizonans for Children we want to make sure the families on site for visits create happy, healing memories and celebrate every single day! # HelpingFamiliesHeal   # STEM   # Pioneers   # FosterCare   # Easter   We have the Raspberry Pi and VGA adapter cables that are needed for our Pi-oneer class on the Arizonans for Children Amazon Wish List if you would like to help: Arizonans for Children Amazon Wish List

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...

Every single day we each have the chance to make a difference. Every single day we each decide what that difference will be. That choice is yours and yours alone. Do you lift someone up or make a difference choice? Every single day there are a million different ways to be the positive difference! Here are just a few that impact the families and children we serve at Arizonans for Children: Volunteer - there are so many volunteer opportunities at Arizonans for Children! Something for everyone. Host - Welcome families, set the tone for the visit and ensure the environment is safe & healthy. Mentor - 8 hours a month and a year commitment to a child in foster care will literally change lives. STAR - Story Time and Reading literacy. Stop by either center and read with the families. Food - food is always a comfort and help ease tensions during visits. Pack sack lunches, make cookies, have pizza delivered. Classes - Hold a class at either center. Dance, yoga, arts & cra...