Bridging the Gaps in the System - Arizona`s Children Association

A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY ARIZONA’S CHILDREN ASSOCIATIONSPRING & SUMMER 2013
Bridging the Gaps in the System:
Federal dollars helped AzCA address needs of older children in foster care
In 2012, Arizona’s Children Association (AzCA) won the bid
to receive a federal grant intended to help find homes for
older, hard-to-place children in foster care. The five-year
Fostering Readiness and Permanency (FRP) grant intended to
get kids out of foster care and into permanent placements
more quickly, particularly those who have spent years in care
and are at risk of “aging out” of the system.
More than 30,000 U.S. teens each year reach adulthood and
leave state custody without a permanent home, including
about 700 in Arizona (AZ Republic). Children who are
eventually emancipated from the child welfare system lack
a vital safety net for helping to ensure a successful life. It is
likely that the longer a child is in care, the more homes they
are placed in and the fewer personal attachments they have,
which can often lead to relationship insecurities and trust
issues. Research shows that children who “age out” of foster
care when they turn 18 are more likely than their peers to be
unemployed, homeless, convicted of a crime, drug dependent, become a teen parent, and/or are less likely to graduate
from high school and attend college.
There are many barriers to permanent placements. Per
Department of Economic Security (DES), national data shows
that the older a foster child is, the less likely they will be
placed with a permanent family. Why? There are many misconceptions related to older youths when it comes to adoption. These misconceptions include: older youths do not want
to be adopted, placements of older youths are unsuccessful,
older youths have more behavioral problems, and placements
are no longer attempted due to their age. Other obstacles
include a shortage of families for placements, lack of readiness for permanency, and limited resources due to state
budget reductions.
The grant funded two programs: the
3-5-7 Model and Family Finding. The
3-5-7 Model prepares children for
life with a new family, and is aimed
at reducing the chance that they’ll be
returned to CPS by providing frequent
therapy sessions to help them work
through the grief and loss surrounding
their biological family. The Family Finding
program uses search tools to locate
extended
family
members.
AzCA has
worked with
59 kids since
the program
began in
August of
last year.
Among the successes, 6-year-old Kevin* was reunited with
his father and his father’s family.
Kevin never really knew his dad. He’d see him when he would
visit his mom or would catch a glimpse of him at a local gas
station.
Esther, who is Kevin’s maternal great aunt, has been caring
for Kevin off and on for much of his life and plans on
adopting him.
“I knew the dad, but I didn’t really know him. I knew of him,
but heard [negative things about him] that made me not
want to get to know him. I felt like his grandparents weren’t
making an effort but that’s because they didn’t know how to
get ahold of us. It was really just miscommunication and I am
just so happy that Kevin has met his family.”
“They have already severed Dad’s parental rights and he is
okay with that,” said Esther. “He just wants to be able to
have a relationship with Kevin but he knew that he could not
care for him the way that we can.”
Kevin never really knew
his dad. He’d see him
when he would visit his
mom or would catch a
glimpse of him at a local
gas station.
According to Esther, it is hard for Kevin to
get attached to others and to get close to
them. The program has helped Kevin to
establish meaningful bonds with his family
and he has also grown close to the staff
on his team. “It has all been a positive
thing for us,” commented Esther. “Dad
has been really trying to give him attention and show him that he loves him.”
Continued on page 2.
Bridging the Gaps in the System
Continued from page 1.
Esther mentioned that it has been challenging to raise a schoolaged child with a lot of emotional problems; however, she is
glad his father and the rest of the family are now involved in
Kevin’s life. She credits the FRP team for making this possible for
Kevin and reuniting the rest of the family.
“This is just a great program,” added Esther. “Kevin has really
opened up.”
Tracy Fish, a Care Coordinator for AzCA shared a story of
another youth she encountered. “The thing that stands out
most to me was when I noticed one of the children looking
through the photos of his father as a young man and he
grabbed his head and said, ‘my hair grows the same way as my
dad’s does!’” said Tracy. “It was so neat to witness his excitement in discovering where he got a lot of his traits from.”
The project aimed to improve permanency outcomes for youth
who are most likely to remain in out-of-home care by increasing
their readiness for permanency, growing their number of
support networks and connections, improving placement
stability by enhancing the number of potential homes, and to
advance their decision making.
“The individualized attention with the youth to process their
experiences of grief and loss was important to address in order
to strengthen these children to move forward in their lives,” said
Candy Espino, Director of Operations for AzCA’s child welfare
programs. “Our staff had what is often an unusual opportunity
in this field to really begin to understand these youth and their
families. We were able to connect many youth to family
members that our kids did not previously know and may otherwise have never met.”
Widely publicized earlier this year, DES has unfortunately
cancelled the grant program. According to The Arizona
Republic, DES has stated that it could not comply with rigorous
federal requirements to receive the grant money and adequately
serve the growing number of Arizona children in foster care.
This cancellation was especially unfortunate given all the positive
feedback about the program. “It is a wonderful project, a
wonderful model, and it was working,” said Jackie Smollar, who
was part of the Quality Assurance staff at LeCroy & Milligan.
“The cancellation of the grant was entirely based on the
state’s response to federal requirements for the dollars and
was in no way a reflection on the work and dedication of our
staff,” stated Espino. “Our staff continue to be incredibly passionate about this project and the opportunities it provides for
improving lives of youth in care.”
“We owe it to these kids in care to help them build strong
foundations for themselves when their birth parents are unable,”
added Espino, “Although the funding through this particular grant
is no longer available, we have found other ways to continue to
provide these services because we believe in this work due to the
outcomes that we have seen. We look forward to continuing to
work with youth and families with these two models.”
*As a child currently in the foster care system, Kevin’s name has been
changed to protect his confidentiality.
John Boemer Golf Tournament Returns for the 16th Year
On Saturday, May 11th, the John Boemer
Golf Tournament returned to Yuma for
the 16th year. The event was held at the
Yuma Golf and Country Club where 29
teams tried their luck at a hole in one.
•
•
•
Over the past 16 years, this tournament
has raised over $470,000! This year we
raised a total of $34,000! All of these
funds are used locally in Yuma and spent
on children and families in need of our
assistance.
The generous donations from the event
have gone towards:
•
Purchasing clothing and school
supplies for children coming into
foster care
•
•
Bill assistance to help families
in need
Paid for specialized camps and
trainings for children with
special needs
Purchased food, cleaning supplies,
hygiene supplies and general necessities for families in need
Purchased beds to keep siblings
together in one foster home
And much more...
A big thank you goes out to the
committee members for their hard work
and dedication. The committee includes:
Allen Hook, Cory Crouse, Dave Sellers,
Heather Boemer, Jack Meerchaum, Jay
McMullen, Jeff Sellers, Jeron Boemer, Ross
Farley, Stephanie Watson, and Steve Schulte.
From left to right: Jay McMullen, Tony Sellers,
Mike Covey, and Jeron Boemer
Our appreciation also goes out to our
committed staff that helped make the
event a success. And to our volunteers:
Susie Tyndall; and board members, Cindy
Landin and Renee Dinwiddie!
Living in a Nonverbal World: Danny’s Story
Communication is one of the basic needs
of human life. We are able to communicate our desires, dislikes, emotions, and
anything else about ourselves in words.
Now, imagine what your life would be
like if you could not express those feelings. Imagine - just for a second - that
your child could not say those three little
words that every parent wants to hear “I love you.” Parents want to be able to
identify what is on their child’s mind and
what they are feeling. Are they happy?
Upset? Hurt? Hungry? What can I do
to help?
For 14-year-old Danny, his world became
full of anger and aggression because he
is unable to verbally express his wants
and needs - he is autistic. Danny acts out
from the frustration of not having any
viable way to communicate.
Danny’s parents gave custody of Danny
to his grandparents in 2008. He was
later placed in a group home in Phoenix
because his grandparents did not have
the capacity to care for him.
As the only child at the group home,
Danny was acting out and expressing his
emotions aggressively towards their staff.
He also broke a number of items around
the house, including a TV and a window,
which left him cut up and placed in
a hospital.
His grandparents, who live near Coolidge,
have remained active and continue to
visit on a regular basis while providing
Danny with his basic needs.
Unfortunately, the group home in
which he has been living was not able
to give Danny the care and attention
that he needed. With limited resources
available at the group home, Danny’s
agency reached out to Arizona’s Children
Association (AzCA) for assistance and
much needed expertise.
“There were inconsistencies at the group
home and that’s why we were asked
to step in,” said Senior Family Support
Specialist Amanda Silva. She is one of
five AzCA team members who worked
with Danny.
Silva and the other team members,
consisting of behavioral coaches and
case managers, worked with Danny in
shifts, attending Child and Family Team
Meetings (CFT), providing day-to-day
updates, and driving across town to help
a child who is a part of another agency.
They worked with Danny daily after
school and long hours on the weekends.
“They have gone above and beyond,”
said Jessie Gillam, Statewide Director of
Behavioral Health. ”We have more
experience and an ability to help. We
were put in place as a buffer. We’ve
ended up being a lot more than that.”
Danny made a number of
improvements with the help of AzCA.
The team has worked with him on
improving his eating habits, non-verbal
communication through hand signals,
and behavioral modification by working
on skills and redirection.
Anissa Hernandez, a staff member
and a part of Danny’s team through
Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health
Services (SEABHS), has acknowledged
AzCA and expressed her appreciation for
all of the work and dedication that has
been provided to help Danny.
Amanda Silva, AzCA Senior Family
Support Specialist, with Danny
while I think we do it all the time, typically changes don’t happen overnight,”
said Gillam. “It has been so uplifting to
hear what each staff has been able to
accomplish with Danny and change this
child’s quality of life. It gives hope.”
According to Silva, Danny’s behavior
varies depending on the day and his
behaviors are often triggered. He is most
comfortable around familiar faces and
having a sense of consistency and
repetition in knowing what will happen
next. Blocks have become one of Danny’s
most prized possessions. They have
given him a sense of comfort and security
throughout the day.
“I can’t thank you all enough for your
dedication and feedback to the team
on Danny’s case,” said Hernandez in an
email to Gillam. “Everyone has been very
thorough and precise and it has helped
immensely. Thank you…we could not
be effective without your support and
insight.”
Silva and her colleagues have been
working hard to get the group home
staff trained and in better shape. The
team developed a schedule to find a routine that is right for Danny, helped the
group home maintain organization, and
completed a Functional Behavioral
Assessment (FBA). Danny is now able to
use hand signals and some sign language
to let others know what he needs.
Those who have worked with Danny feel
that they have made progress and feel
gratified to have been involved with his
case and further development.
“We’ve stepped up to do a favor and
help a community,” said Gillam.
“I do really feel that we have made a
difference for this child and family, and
For more information on AzCA behavioral health programs, visit us online at
www.arizonaschildren.org/outpatient.htm.
Around the State
Chandler
AzCA offices in Chandler and around the
state joined in the international effort to
raise awareness about autism by
celebrating World Autism Awareness Day! Staff
celebrated the “Light it up Blue” theme by
decorating the entire office blue!
Lake Havasu City
The Schlotzky’s Deli on McCulloch Blvd.
teamed up with AzCA for an ongoing
monthly fundraiser to benefit the Mohave
STAR program to help youth who have
behavioral health issues.
Phoenix
A big thank you to our board member
Cindy Berger and her associates at Arizona
Public Service (APS) for their hard work
and support! Eleven volunteers from their
Information Technology Group helped
plant gardens for the children in the
Golden Gate Head Start Program at
Cartwright.
Prescott
Tucson
Since the start of 2008, the Prescott Noon
Lions Club has been committed to helping
Arizona’s Children Association. To date,
they have contributed a total of $27,000.
A major source of the funds that they
raise for the City of Prescott, local agencies, and other nonprofit organizations is
derived from their paper recycling project.
The 17th Annual “Dine Out for Safety”
event has raised more than $30,000 so
far to support survivors of sexual assault!
Thank you to our sponsors: Community
Partnership of Southern Arizona, AdVision
Outdoor, Cox, Clear
Channel, Comcast,
Desert Diamond
Casino, and all of
our restaurants and
raffle donors! Full list
available at dineoutforsafety.com.
Scottsdale
Golden Gate Guild hosted the annual
Cheers! Wine Tasting fundraising event at
Casablanca Lounge in May. To stay updated on future events around the state,
“like” our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/arizonaschildren.
Yuma
El Presidente de Caballeros de Yuma, Jeff
Kammann presents Ricardo Becerra of
Arizona’s Children Association with a
check for $500. The Caballeros de Yuma
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
the improvement and success of Yuma
and its surrounding communities.
Tubac
In April, Reay’s Ranch Investors hosted their
5th Annual Golf Tournament benefiting
our programs. This year’s event raised an
astounding $60,605! The tournament
was sold out with many of Reay’s vendors
sponsoring the event. Since 2006, Reay’s
has raised a staggering $824,791 for AzCA
and they anticipate hitting the $1 million
mark in 2014! The majority of funds come
directly from customers who learn about
our programs inside a Reay’s Ranch store.
Special thanks to COO Rich Couch and his
managers, staff and family!
Have your own AzCA news from around the state? Let us know! Email us at [email protected].
Penny Pitch Advocate, Nixon Low, Passes Away
It is with great sadness that we share
that Nixon Low, radio personality and
promotions manager at 99.5 KIIM-FM,
passed away on May 1st at University of
Arizona Medical Center. Low was only
52 years young and had been battling an
aggressive and rare form of cancer.
Low was a huge supporter of Arizona’s
Children Association, a tremendous
friend to our organization, and the absolute backbone to our Penny Pitch event
in Tucson year after year. Last December
was our 16th Annual Penny Pitch event
which aims each year to raise one million pennies over the winter holidays.
KIIM-FM broadcasts from 6 a.m. to
7 p.m. for three days at the Foothills Mall
and the public is invited to donate their
spare change.
The KIIM-FM Penny Pitch allows
Arizona’s Children Association to maintain the KIIM-FM Family Emergency
Fund, which was established after
the very first Penny Pitch. The Family
Emergency Fund supports Tucson families in crisis.
incredibly passionate about giving back
to the Tucson community. We are so
grateful that we have been and continue
to be the beneficiary of the generosity of
Nixon Low and KIIM-FM.”
“On behalf of our agency,” said Holton,
“our condolences go out to the family of
Nixon and our friends at KIIM-FM.
He will be missed.”
Low was well known and respected by
his staff and KIIM listeners. According
to Becky Holton, Chief Development
Officer and friend of Low’s for the past
five years, “He was a great guy who was
4
Dear Supporters:
Each year brings
about new
challenges, new
experiences and
new opportunities
for enhancement.
Continuing to
reevaluate and improve our program performance has allowed for change and growth.
We have found opportunities for improvements that will allow us to provide for children and families in new and innovative
ways. Incorporating a trauma-informed care
approach into our services and increasing the
integration of all of our programs are just two
examples of the innovational approaches that
we are taking in our work and that you will
read more about over the coming year.
There is much more on the horizon for
Arizona’s Children. As a team, we have
worked closely with our management staff
across the state to create and begin executing
our 2013-2017 Strategic Plan. Our goals over
the next five years include: expanding and
improving the community impact of our services, bringing out the best in our people,
strengthening our community presence,
pursuing innovation, and increasing our
financial strength.
We are more confident in the stability and
future success of Arizona’s Children than ever
before. We believe that by committing to
these five goals as our overall guide for the
next five years will result in our becoming an
even stronger and more viable agency. We are
Arizona’s best resource for helping children and
families. We have maintained that role for the
last 100 years and we are committed to seeing
that vision in action for the next 100 years.
I want to extend my gratitude to our entire
staff, board members, volunteers and supporters who are dedicated to assisting families
and making sure that the children have a bright
and successful future. Because of you, a child
doesn’t have to wait to find healing and hope.
Please join us and take part in the pride we
take in helping the children and families
throughout Arizona.
Sincerely,
Denise Ensdorff
President & CEO
The Heard Museum comes to Golden Gate
This last April, our Golden Gate Community Center ‘s Head Start program
decided to bring the Heard Museum to the children and families in the west
Phoenix community. Many families in the area are unable to take their children
on outings, like museums, due to transportation or financial restraints.
The Heard Museum offers a variety of learning
experiences for schools, families and adult
learners. Head Start teamed up with the Museum
to borrow educational kits that were set up in
the cafeteria as stations for learning while the
teachers and management team transformed the
space into a museum. One example of a station
developed by a teacher was utilizing the George
Washington portrait. The teacher focused on his Head Start Teaching Assistant,
wooden teeth to teach the children and families Nidia Martinez, works on a
craft with the children
about hygiene and oral health.
Families were encouraged to bring siblings and other family members to the
event, adding to the excitement at the impromptu museum. More than 60
families attended for an approximate total of 200 attendees—what a success!
“It was an event that some of our families would not have been able to experience
on their own,” said Sarah Gonzalez, director of Golden Gate Community Center.
“It exposed them to a learning opportunity and an outing for the entire family.”
“I am so very proud of our teachers and management team,” added Sarah.
“They are passionate about education and what they do in their program.”
Special thank you to the Heard Museum for accommodating our programs with off-site educational materials!
To learn more about Golden Gate Community Center, visit
www.goldengatecenter.org.
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Child Haven
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Golden Gate Community Center
In My Shoes
Independent Living Services
In-Home Family Support
Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)
Kinship and Adoption, Resource
and Education
(KARE) Family Center
Las Familias
New Directions Institute
Outpatient Behavioral Health
Parent Aide
Parents as Teachers
Southern Arizona Center Against
Sexual Assault (SACASA)
The Parent Connection
Therapeutic Foster Care
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Phoenix, Arizona 85004
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