Child Welfare
Next CASA Virtual Academy training to be held Aug. 26, Sept. 10, 15
The next CASA Virtual Academy training for those interested in becoming a CASA volunteer will be held Aug. 26, Sept. 10, 15.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are compassionate adults who fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the security of a loving family.
Children’s Action Alliance opinion — State Lawmakers Must Act Soon to Save the Child Care Sector
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis is threatening to put the majority of Arizona’s child care providers out of business. Approximately 50 percent of programs across the state are at least temporarily closed. Centers that are open serve considerably less children than before the crisis. A recent survey of Arizona providers showed that the number of children attending most programs has been cut in half. These programs may be serving less children, due to the health and safety guidelines put forth by state and local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2-1-1 Arizona Information and Referral Service Now Available 24/7/365 Statewide in English and Spanish
Crisis Response Network announces that its statewide 2-1-1 Arizona Information and Referral Service program is now operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week and every day of the year. Live operator service is available at all times in both English and Spanish.
New funding from the Arizona Department of Economic Security will allow 24/7 operation of 2-1-1 Arizona for Fiscal Year 2021.
2-1-1 Arizona operators will help individuals and families find resources that are available to them locally, throughout the state, and provide connections to critical services that can improve – and save – lives, including:
2020 Health and Welfare Resource Virtual Networking meetings in Coconino County
A variety of health and welfare resource networking meetings are held each month in Coconino County. The meetings are presented in local restaurants, libraries, health care agencies and other locations where health professionals and representatives from a variety of governmental and non-profit organizations share information on upcoming programs and events that benefit the health and welfare of children, youth, parents and seniors throughout the region.
The following is a listing of some of those meetings. Please send any updates to frank@coconinokids.org
Expect More Arizona — Understanding How Positive Community Factors Can Help Mitigate The Impacts Of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Research shows that Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, contribute to the likelihood of substance abuse and other health concerns later in life. Unfortunately, Arizona ranks higher than the national average for children who have experienced ACEs. These can include childhood traumas such as abuse and neglect. In fact, according to the Arizona ACE Consortium, “It is estimated that nearly 70,000 children in Arizona have more than five ACEs.”
As ACE exposure goes up, the risk for negative outcomes such as substance abuse also goes up. For example, the rate of alcohol abuse jumps from a one in 69 chance to a one in six chance for individuals who have experienced seven or more Adverse Childhood Experiences. The rate of intravenous (IV) drug use is even more startling, going from a one in 480 chance to one in 30.
Arizona’s Children Association has opening for MA level Clinician Young Adult Services
The Arizona’s Children Association’s Young Adult Services is seeking a MA level Clinician to work with youth transitioning out of the state foster care system. The Clinician would carry a caseload of youth for skills and case management, and would be completing the intake assessments. Licensing is a plus and could add the option of providing individual or group therapy for youth when a need is presented, but this is not a requirement for the position.
First Things First — Childhood immunization rates slipping to dangerously low levels
Health partners, including the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, urge families to keep their babies, toddlers and preschoolers on schedule for their immunizations after the coronavirus crisis caused many cancelled well-child visit appointments.
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Connections Spotlight — CCC&Y receives capacity building grant from Vitalyst Health Foundation to help CCC&Y promote its impact, mission and vision
CCC&Y has received a capacity building grant from Vitalyst Health Foundation to help CCC&Y to increase its capacity and effectiveness by telling its unique and authentic story.
“The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (CCC&Y) is a nonprofit organization that ignited collective action to cultivate, honor and empower resilient, thriving communities,”Vitalyst Health Foundation reported. “The vision of a holistic community where all children of Coconino County are increasingly free from the trauma experience and all have equitable opportunities that build resiliency aligns with the mission of Vitalyst in Access to Care and coordinated systems of care and Social & Cultural Cohesion and support services for mental health needs.”
Next CASA Virtual Academy training to be held July 22, 23
The next CASA Virtual Academy training for those interested in becoming a CASA volunteer will be held July 22, 23.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are compassionate adults who fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the security of a loving family.
Children’s Action Alliance opinion — Immigrant Families Should Not Be Excluded From COVID-19 Response
This moment makes it clear that each and every person’s health and well-being is intertwined. Yet, the policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic has explicitly left many immigrant families out. This is particularly troubling in Arizona where more than one in four children are growing up in an immigrant household. Immigrant households are heavily represented in front-line essential jobs and nearly 16 percent of small businesses are owned by a foreign-born Arizonan.
