The Williams family came to Arizona’s Children Association (AzCA) when they learned that their niece was placed into out-of-home care. Being relatives of Aria, there was no doubt in their mind that they wanted to take her in to provide some stability while her parents received the help they needed.

Although this was an easy decision, they still had concerns as to whether or not they could financially and emotionally support her. The stress put tension on their relationship and they found themselves arguing over the littlest things. They could see how this was all affecting their 4-year-old son, David.

They knew that although Aria would be in the care of her relatives, she needed more than they could give her – they needed support to help guide them through what happens next. The family decided to look into the process of becoming licensed foster care providers, that’s when they discovered kinship support services through AzCA.

Though this is where their journey started, they quickly discovered that AzCA had so much more to offer Aria and the family unit. The William’s were guided through the licensing process, received new shoes and other essentials for Aria to help with the financial burden, and jumped at the opportunity to benefit from other personalized wrap-around services.

Among them, the Williams were focused on Aria’s ability to cope with trauma, as well as where she was at developmentally. They took classes on trauma-informed care, nurtured parenting, child brain development and other Family Education & Support Services, which also had a positive impact on their parenting skills, and their son.

To address the trauma that Aria experienced at such a young age, Aria participated in AzCA’s outpatient behavioral health services and benefited from the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT).

In many situations, children who exhibit unhealthy and difficult behaviors (for Aria, she experienced sleep disturbances, acted out, and had trouble regulating her emotions), have brain development challenges that can be addressed with proper intervention. NMT provided the structure to identify experiences that may have impacted her developing brain by providing an assessment, determining primary problems, identifying key strengths and applied interventions in a way that helped her family, educators, and therapists to best meet her needs through developmentally appropriate interventions. Through the guidance of AzCA, and an understanding of Aria’s previous situation, the Williams’ and their son decided to utilize AzCA’s family counseling to manage stress and strengthen the family bond.

Today, Aria now has a forever home with her extended family. Since adoption, they’ve had the continued support from AzCA. The family is thriving and Aria is a happy and healthy little girl, who is so excited to start 4th grade in the fall. She is able to sleep through the night and control her emotions. David and Aria are inseparable and he looks up to her as his big sister, and the family is stronger than ever.

AzCA’s doors are always open to protect children, empower youth, and strengthen families. Thanks to our staff of experts and community support, AzCA is able to fill in the missing pieces for children and family across Arizona – whether it’s finding and supporting a forever home for a child in need, assisting a family with emergency needs, educating teachers and caregivers through workshops, teaching life skills and providing mentors for young adults to reach their full potential, or by aiding in a family’s healing process to create a more stable and loving home.

When you donate to AzCA, you help families utilize AzCA’s wrap-around services, just like the Williams family. Your contribution is fully tax deductible – benefiting you, AzCA, and those we serve by helping to solve their life’s puzzle. Purchase one or more puzzle pieces today to reveal the amazing outcomes. Your donation will support more families like the Williams by creating opportunities and filling in the picture of a successful future for children and families. 

Will you be that valuable piece of someone’s puzzle?