Arizona Association of Foster & Adoptive Parents

Description

The Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents was founded in 2003 to support, empower and provide a unified voice for Arizona's foster, adoptive and kinship parents.

Over the years we have enjoyed many successes:

Our bi-monthly Town Hall series provides license renewal training credits while covering topics of interest to foster, adoptive and kinship parents such as tax tips for foster and adoptive parents, education issues for foster and adopted children, grief and loss for foster families, and pointers on how to navigate the various state systems involved in child welfare.

Our quarterly "Discussions with the Director" provide an opportunity for foster and adoptive parents to provide input to the Arizona Department of Economic Security in a two-hour discussion with the director of DES that is broadcast statewide.

Our annual Blue Ribbon event in May attracts more than 500 foster and adoptive families, CPS workers and licensing workers to recognize the nearly 10,000 children in the Arizona foster care system using blue ribbons and the families that care for them.

Established long term collaborative relationships with both local and national partners such as Arizona Friends of Foster Children, Casey Family Programs, and Major League Baseball!

Development and implementation of a statewide foster and adoptive parent mentor program.

The annual "Courage for Children" Awards dinner that honors foster and adoptive families for their loving care of children in Arizona's foster care system.