Our Story

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to protect children, empower youth, and strengthen families.

Our vision is that every Arizona family has the resources and support needed to be safe, strong and resilient.

Values & Beliefs

We value our Passion of Purpose, Quality Service, Collaboration, and Respect for All.

Passion of Purpose
With more than 110 years of service, we continue to be driven by our desire to support abused and neglected children and the families most in need of our services. We will not compromise when it comes to the safety and best interests of children.

Quality Service
We are determined to be the best at doing what matters most. We strive to maintain expertise in our field, use our resources efficiently, make data-driven decisions that are results oriented, and provide services of the highest quality. We aim to understand, meet and foresee the needs of our clients, colleagues, volunteers and stakeholders while continuously seeking feedback for improvement.

Collaboration
We strive to work powerfully together with our community in a unified effort to achieve our shared goals. We have confidence in each other’s capabilities and intentions. We believe that together we can deliver the best results when there is a foundation of trust, communication and collaboration.

Respect for All
We maintain a workplace environment that ensures that our clients, colleagues, donors and volunteers feel valued, trusted, respected and connected.

Approach & History

Wraparound Services: A Unique Approach
to Helping Your Family

We believe that every individual and family is unique and requires a personalized approach to behavioral healthcare, child welfare services, and preventative support, not a one-size-fits-all solution. We believe that there is no “one way” to provide resources and support; instead, everything is catered to your needs, the needs of your family, and the community you are a part of. We believe in genuine interactions that happen where you need them most, including in your home and communities. We want to be there with you on your journey to positive change.

Our programs target the type of future we all want to see: a future where every child has a safe and loving home and families are supported through difficult and trying circumstances.

Founded in 1912, we are one of the longest serving statewide comprehensive child welfare and behavioral health not-for-profit agencies in Arizona. Located in all 15 Arizona counties, we provide a variety of programs and services to meet the needs of more nearly 30,000 children, youth and families each year.

Our commitment to providing child welfare and behavioral health services where they are needed most is evident now more than ever. Our communities are stronger when our children are safe, healthy, and ready to learn in school, and when caregivers and young adults are healthy and ready to succeed in the workplace and at home with their families.

It is with your support we accomplish our goal of transforming the health and wellbeing of our community and finding solutions to better meet the needs of those we serve – one child and family at a time. All programs are family focused, strength based, culturally sensitive and outcome driven.

We were originally founded in Tucson in 1912 as Arizona Children’s Home to care for homeless, neglected and dependent children. To meet the changing needs of children, we developed services that extended far beyond the residential program in Tucson and eventually changed our name to Arizona’s Children Association. To learn more about our history, click here.

Meet Our Executive Leadership Team

Jacob Schmitt bio
JACOB SCHMITT, MPA
President &
Chief Executive Officer
Tracy Thurston bio
TRACY THURSTON, MC, LPC
Chief Program Officer
and Senior Vice President
Ken Goranson
SUSAN ENCINAS
Chief Information Officer

Meet Our Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Gerald Smith bio
GERALD SMITH, EDD
Chair
Retired Director,
Pinal County
Attorney’s Office
Coolidge
Steve Zeidman bio
STEVE ZEIDMAN Chair-Elect
Technology Executive
Pethealth, Inc
Phoenix
Gerald Smith bio
HOLLEY STACY
Treasurer
V.P. / Private Banking
Arizona Bank & Trust
Scottsdale
Patricia Peyton bio
PATRICIA PEYTON Secretary
Sales & Leadership
Consultant
Sphere International
Scottsdale
Patricia Krueger bio
PATRICIA KRUEGER
Past Chair-Elect
Controller, Aramark
Higher Education
Gilbert

MEMBERS

Jaye Williams
Jaye Williams
Director of Operations
evolved MD
Mesa
Dawn Grittmann bio
DAWN GRITTMANN
Senior Manager
National Education Programs
NAMI
Gilbert
Nicole Lance bio
NICOLE LANCE
CEO
Lance Strategies
Phoenix
Kathleen McLaughlin bio
KATHLEEN MCLAUGHLIN
Retired
Prescott
Jillian Hansen bio
JILLIAN HANSEN
Attorney
State 49 Law Firm
Phoenix
Gerald Smith bio
ANNA OSBORN
Past Chair
Customer Success Manager
Axon Technologies
Scottsdale
Ellen Howlett bio
ELLEN HOWLETT
Retired CFO
AGM Container
Controls, Inc.
Tucson
Cynthia R. Landin bio
CYNTHIA R. LANDIN
Marketing/Promotion
Specialist
El Dorado Broadcasters
Yuma
Elizabeth Howell bio
ELIZABETH HOWELL
Director of Media, Comm.
& Govt. Relations
Pima Community College
Tucson
Dolores Duran Cerda bio
DOLORES
DURÁN-CERDA, PHD
Provost & Executive
Vice Chancellor
Pima Community College
Tucson
Craig Shay bio
CRAIG SHAY
Operation Manager
Shay Oil Company
DBA Chevron
Yuma
Thomas J. Wisz bio
THOMAS J. WISZ
Retired VP
Human Resources
OUTFRONT Media
Phoenix
Juliet Peters bio
JULIET PETERS
Attorney
Framework Legal, PLLC
Scottsdale

MEMBERS EMERITUS

TROY RICHARDS

Owner
4RealVentures, LLC
Scottsdale

JESS LORONA

Attorney
Lorona & Mead
Phoenix

PAUL ZUCARELLI

Owner
CBIZ – Gordon, Zucarelli &
Handley Business Services
Tucson

LINDA YOCUM

Retired Procurement
Manager
Raytheon
Tucson

NANCY STANLEY

Assistant Dean
James E. Rogers College
of Law
University of Arizona
Tucson

DIANE COSTANTINO

Partner
Price Waterhouse Coopers

Phoenix

RENEE DINWIDDIE

SW Regional Service Manager
BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona
Yuma

CARRIE HALL, CLU CFP

Carrie Hall and Associates
Phoenix

PAMELA BARBEY

Consultant
Carlisle Collections
Limekiln, PA

MARY LOU HAPNER

Retired, First Vice President
Peacock, Hislop, Staley & Given, Inc.
Phoenix

BETSY APKING

Financial Advisor
Wells Fargo Advisors
Tucson

WILLIAM WEESE, MD

Retired Medical Director
Scottsdale

JOHN BOEMER

Yuma

If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors, please contact:
Marianne Thompson | MThompson@arizonaschildren.org

Financial Accountability

As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, it is our commitment to ensure that all funds are put to work in the most fiscally resourceful ways while providing the best possible outcomes for the children and families we serve.

With our strategic plan as our guide, and you by our side, we continue to remain at the forefront of the child welfare and behavioral health fields and serve as a standard in Arizona and beyond for high quality services and financial and ethical accountability. Together, we will remain successful in our efforts to build a stronger Arizona for children and families. (Tax ID # 86-0096772)

To view our Financial Report click here.

To view our Community Impact Report click here.

Your financial support directly impacts our ability to bring programs and services to those who need them.