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Foster care Resources

Information to empower and guide you on your foster and adoption journey

At Child Crisis Arizona, we understand the complexities and joys that come with fostering and adoption, and our goal is to ensure you have easy access to a wide array of tools and resources. Whether you’re seeking guidance on parenting strategies, educational resources, or emotional well-being, we’ve gathered a collection of resources that cater to your specific needs. Below you will find a wealth of helpful links and comprehensive information, to empower and guide you on your foster and adoption journey.

Education & activities

After School Activities
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ASA NOW
Provides free or low cost after-school programs and classes to children in foster care and their siblings. The best way to get current information is to sign up for their e-newsletter.
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation
Provides funding to help pay for after-school programs and extracurricular activities. Visit their website for a full list.
Opportunity4kids
Pays for fees, equipment and uniforms for sports and after-school activities for any youth whose family falls within 150% of federal poverty guidelines. Proof of household income is required.
boys & Girls Club of America
Offers free, after-school services to children in foster care, ages 6-18 years old. Use your child’s CMDP card for membership enrollment. Call your local program for eligibility requirements.
Ican
Provides free after school care for children at several Mesa and Chandler schools.
Future for kids
Provides weekly after-school activities at no cost at several Phoenix locations.
Birthday Celebrations & Holidays
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Arizona Helping Hands
Provides gifts for holidays. For birthdays, submit a request several weeks in advance to allow volunteers to create a customized birthday package for the child.
Resource Distribution Center
Through Child Crisis Arizona can provide assistance for birthday and holiday gifts for kids within your care. Contact your licensing worker for a referral.
Arizonans for Children
Holds several special events throughout the year including a holiday party with gifts for each child in attendance.
Helen's Hope Chest
In Mesa provides gifts for birthdays and holidays.
Camps
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Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation
Provides scholarships to help cover the cost of summer camps. Visit their website for restrictions.
Anytown Leadership Camp
Is a one-week camp for teens focused on diversity, leadership and empowerment.
Future for kids
Partners with a school or organization to hold a one-week camp each summer.
Onward Hope
Provides a five-night camp for teens in the foster care system focused on life skills.
Hope & a Future
Holds two camps during the summer designed for children in foster care. Royal Family Kids provides siblings a chance to go to camp together. Teen Reach Adventure Camp is for teens ages 12-15 to learn leadership skills.
College
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Arizona Tuition Waiver
Covers school fees and tuition that are not covered under other grants for youth who were in foster care in Arizona at age 14 or older and who are currently under the age of 23.
Grand Canyon University
Offers scholarships specifically for youth aging out of foster care that will cover tuition and all school-related costs (including room and board and meal plans).
ASU's Bridging Success
Program helps foster youth with the admissions process at ASU, financial aid and other ongoing support to help students graduate.
Hope & A Future’s John S. Brewer Memorial Fund
Can help pay for high school tutoring or college expenses.
School Supplies
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Arizona Helping Hands (School Supplies)
Can assist with school supplied for children in foster care.
Helen’s Hope Chest (Supplies)
Provides free school supplies to children in foster care.
Child Crisis Arizona Resource Distribution Center
Offers free school supplies to families within our programs each year through our Resource Distribution Center. Contact your licensing specialist for a referral.
Tutoring
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Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation
Can help cover the cost of tutoring for children in care.
ASA Now
Provides free tutoring at their community center.
Arizonans for Children
Offers tutors for children ages 5-18 in foster care in Maricopa County.

Teens

Financial Literacy & Life Skills for Foster Teens
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ASA Now
Provides free or low cost after-school programs and classes to children in foster care and their siblings. The best way to get current information is to sign up for their e-newsletter.
Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation
Provides funding to help pay for after-school programs and extracurricular activities. Visit their website for a full list.
Boys & Girls Club of America
Offers free, after-school services to children in foster care, ages 6-18 years old. Use your child’s CMDP card for membership enrollment. Call your local program for eligibility requirements.
Opportunity4Kids
Pays for fees, equipment and uniforms for sports and after-school activities for any youth whose family falls within 150% of federal poverty guidelines. Proof of household income is required.
ICAN
Provides free after school care for children at several Mesa and Chandler schools.
Future for Kids
Provides weekly after-school activities at no cost at several Phoenix locations.
Job Opportunities for teens
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Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation’s Keys to Success Program
Helps youth who are or were in foster care as a teen set career goals and find job opportunities.
Friendly House Career and College Readiness Program
Helps disadvantaged youth transition to college and a career.
IFoster
Is a national non-profit dedicated to helping foster youth identify and prepare for job opportunities.
Job Corps
Can help youth train for a new career and also help with housing, meals and an allowance.
St. Joseph the Worker's Employment Services
Can help with job training and identifying open positions.
Onward Hope
Helps teens locate paid internship opportunities.
Technology for teens in care
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Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation
Can help cover the cost of a cell phone for youth ages 14-20.
IFoster
Can help provide a laptop to kids in care.

Housing

Housing For Teens Aging Out
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Child Crisis Arizona’s Halle House
Provides Independent Living Housing for teens aging out of the foster care system.
Foster Arizona
Provides young adult housing for teens and young adults aging out of foster care.
Fostering Advocates
Provides helpful information for youth aging out to understand their healthcare and housing, and college options.
Mesa United Way's Foster 360
Provides housing for youth aging out of foster care.
Onward Hope
Provides help with living essentials like pots, pans, bedding and home décor.
Pool fence
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Child Crisis Arizona Pool Fence Safety Program
Child Crisis Arizona has partnered with SRP and United Phoenix Firefighters Charities to provide a pool fence at no cost to a family in the Phoenix area. Applications are opened each May.
Boost a Foster Family
May be able to assist families who have taken emergency custody of a child and are in need of a pool fence. Visit their website to apply.

Health & Safety

Car seat
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The Children Are Priceless Passengers (CAPP)
Program through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is a free two-hour class open to the public or to anyone who has been cited for a child safety seat violation. The class costs $35 but participants in need may be able to receive a free car seat.
Child Crisis Arizona Car Seat Workshop
Holds free car seat safety courses and can help provide a car seat to attendees who do not currently have one. Our car seat safety experts can also help ensure your car seat is installed correctly.
The City of Phoenix
Will check for proper carseat installation by appointment only.
Clothes and Hygiene Essentials (Including diapers)
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Arizona Helping Hands
Allows walk-in shopping for bed sheets, clothes, diapers and other emergency essentials for kids in foster care.
Helen’s Hope Chest
In Mesa allows foster youth to shop for clothes, shoes and other essentials at no cost. Call ahead to make an appointment.
Child Crisis Arizona Resource Distribution Center
Can provide assistance with emergency needs for clothes, hygiene items and diapers for kids within your care. Contact your licensing worker for a referral.
Jose’s Closet
Allows foster families to visit monthly to shop for clothing for all children in the home. They also provide holiday gifts and back to school supplies.
CPR and First Aid Training
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American Emergency Response Training, Inc
Classes scheduled Valley-wide. Please choose an in-person option. $54.50
CPR Rescuers
Call 602-339-3397 to ask about current class schedule and cost.
Child Crisis Arizona Health Training
Offers CPR and First Aid training at no cost each month to foster families. Contact your Licensing Specialist for future dates.
Heart Savers
Has a large schedule of classes around the Valley. $55
Everyday Heroes CPR Training
Located in the West Valley. $70
Crib/pack n play
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Child Crisis Arizona
Offers a free course on safe sleep for babies. A free pack n play is provided to attendees in need.
Arizona Helping Hands
Will help with beds and cribs for families taking in foster children.
Food boxes
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AZCEND's Food Bank
Provides customized emergency food boxes and supplemental food boxes in Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, San Tan, Coolidge, Mesa, Sun Lakes and Ahwatukee.
Borderlands Food Bank P,O.W.W.O.W. Program
Allows anyone to pay $15 for up to 70 lbs of rescued produce. Most sites are drive thru only. Visit the website for a full schedule of events.
The National School Lunch Program
Ensures any child in need gets a free breakfast and lunch at school where meals are provided. Foster children are included in this program. When filling out the form, the income is $0 because a child in foster care has no income.
Double Up Food Bucks
Allow you to double your SNAP benefits when you purchase fruits and vegetables from farmers markets. Take advantage of this program to make SNAP benefits go further.
Market on the Move
Allows anyone to donate $10 and receive 60 lbs of produce. Distribution sites vary. Check the website for the latest alerts and schedule.
Nourish PHX
Can provide basic needs like clothing and food boxes. Open to walk-ins 9-11 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Matthew’s Crossing
Provides free food boxes once per month meant to feed a family of four for up to three days.
Child Crisis Arizona
Holds a monthly food distribution event open to the public.
ASA NOW
Offers food boxes to foster families. Sign up for emails for the most recent information.
Arizona Food Box Network
Can help families locate food boxes, onsite meals, and infant boxes.
The Salvation Army
Provides food boxes once per month for families in need.

Guidance

LGBTQ+ Resources
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The Children’s Bureau and Child Welfare Information Gateway
Put together a guide to support foster parents caring for LGBTQ youth.
Youth.gov
Provides a list of resources for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care.
HRC
Provides statistics about LGBTQ youth in foster care and certifies agencies working in this community. Child Crisis Arizona is the only agency in Arizona to receive the HRC’s All Children—All Families seal.
The Salvation Army
Has resources to help the LGBTQ+ community with job training and teenage suicide.
From Foster Parent College
Licensing Essentials
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Arizona Helping Hands
Can assist with first aid kits, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
Boost a Foster Family
Can help with all items needed to pass a home safety inspection.
Child Crisis Arizona
Offers on-site notarization of documents during the Foster Parent College Training.
Project Child Safety
Provides gun safety education and will connect parents with their local police department to get free firearm safety kits.
Mentors
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Hope & A Future’s Life 360
Program provides mentorship and life skills support for youth over the age of 12.
New Pathways for Youth
Provides mentors for children in grades 8-11 who are facing adversity.
AASK
Provides mentors for foster children ages 9-21.
Arizona’s Children Association
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Are unique mentors and volunteers who work within the court system. While their mentorship to the youth is valuable, their communication to the judge is their focus.
Arizonans for Children
Offers mentors for children ages 5-18 in foster care in Maricopa County.
Support groups & Training
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ASA Now
Offers a variety of trainings for foster parents and often provides childcare during the training. Sign up for their newsletter for the best information.
Foster Parent College
Offers online trainings on a wide variety of topics. Scholarships are available to cover the cost of some trainings.
Child Crisis Arizona Family Education
Offers free parenting classes year round in person, online and on demand. These classes can count toward continuing education hours.
Child Crisis Arizona Support Groups
Offers virtual support groups monthly for foster parents and for family members caring for a relative’s child.
Mesa Parent University
Provides a wide variety of free classes that qualify for certification hours.
Raising SPecial Kids
Offers a variety of trainings for parents of children with special needs.
Center for Adoption
Offers many on-demand courses for $10 each.
Christian Family Care
Provides parenting classes in person and online.
Foster Parent Training
Offers unlimited online training for $15.99 per year.
Southwest Human Development’s Trauma Informed Care
Training is offered online at no cost.
Foster Club
Offers online training courses for foster parents for $24.95 a year.
Foster Care Academy
Offers free online courses.
Training for Grandparents
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