New Parenthood

Prevent Child Abuse Arizona is in a season of new parenthood. Executive Director Claire Louge welcomed her daughter, Kira, into the world on May 21. Director of Strategic Partnerships Molly Peterson is also expecting her first child this August. We are personally experiencing the vitality of all the many pieces and players in prenatal care, early childhood development, and more. Both new mothers are walking the path that many have tread before, meeting the crucial family service providers and programs designed to strengthen families, and learning first-hand why we were never meant to do this alone. Thank you to all of those readers who are parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, or professionals who have supported blossoming families in their parenthood journey.

Impact Story

Home Visiting Supervisors Institute

Arizona home visiting supervisors recently had the opportunity to meet for in-person development training for the first time in three years! Together, the Arizona Department of Health Services / Strong Families AZ, the Arizona Department of Child Safety, First Things First, and Prevent Child Abuse Arizona curated content for the sixth annual Home Visiting Supervisors Institute in Phoenix. This year, home visitors explored the nine Enneagram personality and behavior types and how their type influences communication, including giving and receiving feedback. Returning home visitors built on last year’s virtual Dare to Lead curriculum by refreshing and furthering discussions on having hard conversations with colleagues.

“Both topics were extremely meaningful and extremely needed as we have all been through so much. The stress of the pandemic has made space for self-reflection difficult,” one attendee shared. Another participant expressed that “Diving into the Enneagram and my style showed me how I lead and communicate with others” and how to make that communication more effective.

Advocacy

Support the Child Care and Early Education Reconciliation Plan

The current child care system creates financial challenges for too many families as well as child care workers. Child care is often the greatest expense families face, if they can find it at all; while at the same time, highly skilled early educators are leaving child care due to low wages.

The revamped child care and early education reconciliation plan proposed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) would invest robust funding in the existing federal child care program, quickly getting funding to all 50 states and territories to strengthen the early learning workforce, expand the supply of quality child care facilities, and lower child care costs for families across the country.

Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States

Designed by Zero to Three to reframe the role of child welfare toward strengthening families and communities, this policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance equitable outcomes supporting the health and well-being of very young children and their families, including those who are in or are at risk of entering the child welfare system.

Building Parenting Skills to Address Trauma, Grief, and Mental Health

Are you familiar with the Child Welfare Information Gateway? This website is amply filled with resources and publications organized by topic – including Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect. You can even subscribe to key topics so that you get a regular inflow of information in your email inbox. Or you can check out their podcast. Their recent episode, "Building Parenting Skills to Address Trauma, Grief, and Mental Health," can be applied to multiple situations, whether supporting a child in foster care, or talking to children about recent tragic events.

Fundraising

Use Amazon Smile for your Prime Day Purchases

Prime Day is this month! Make sure your Prime Day deals go the extra mile by shopping on AmazonSmile, a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The only difference is when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice!

To begin feel-good shopping, visit the link below and select Prevent Child Abuse Arizona as your charity of choice. Then bookmark smile.amazon.com in your browser to ensure your shopping benefits Arizona children and families.

Child Abuse Prevention Conference | July 19-20, 2022

As a 501(c)3 organization, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona is eligible to receive bequests. Please contact Molly Peterson at molly@pcaaz.org if you would like to discuss including Prevent Child Abuse Arizona in your legacy.

Prevent Child Abuse Arizona can only accept donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations located in the State of Arizona.

Tax ID #86-0832901