Meeting the Need
"I am looking forward to a community center for children and families touched by foster and adoption. Each of our children are unique and special. The likes and hobbies of each of my children are very diverse. Having a community center that will give them an opportunity to pursue some of their interests is exciting to me. Also, the opportunity for our family to serve and to help others in the community will be a great growing experience for all of us. I am committed to making this dream come to fruition."
Stephanie Scott
Jacob's Mission Community Center serves foster, adopted and kinship children as well as their families by providing a variety of services. Our intent is to help support and strengthen these families through programs and interventions such as:
Updates:
ASA Now has been busy serving our community. In 2016 ASA Now was able to serve 515 children and 288 families, in 2017 we served 1,060 children and 630 families. in 2018 we served 950 families and 2,336 children. As of 9-9-19 we have served 556 families and 2,520 children.
ASA Now has provided Advocacy, Support and Assistance to Families and Children impacted by Foster Care through the following events:
After-School Tutoring and Homework Help
Reading Music Class
Art Class
Emergency Placement Bags
Emergency Food Boxes
Jacob's Giving Closet: PJ's,clothes, socks, underwear, blankets, diapers and wipes
Backpacks and school supplies
Basic Necessities
Jacob's Pantry: canned goods, produce, frozen meals
Books
Foster Children's Birthday Parties
Therapeutic Animals at our Events
Respite Care - Parent's Night Out
Foster Family Feast and Family Socials
Life Skills for Teenagers
Trauma Mama and Couples Retreat
Support Group
Trunk or Treat Spooktacular Fall Celebration
Winter Wonderland Christmas Celebration
Kinship Toy Drive
Advocacy - Provide Resources and Support
Jacob's Law Trainings
Caregiver Workshop Series
Community Outreach - Partner and volunteer with other non-profit organizations
Resource Tables
Speaking Engagements
Volunteers & Funding
Our foster care non-profit organization just purchased a million dollar property in Mesa, the building sits on 3 acres. We are in need of volunteers to help us with the renovations. Help us turn an old church into a community center where we can provide after-school activities to children, youth and families who have been and are involved with child welfare.
We are also in need of donors and sponsors who would like to contribute directly to furthering Jacob's Mission. We have several fundraising initiatives please contact us if you would like to assist.
Become Involved
Jacob's Mission Community Center
Services were being provided way too late, if they were being provided at all. Although Jacob's Law solved many of these problems, it occurred to us that had on-going preventative services been in place, it could have made a real difference in some of these cases. We know with proper intervention and support, we can keep more families together. Thus our passion to create Jacob's Law evolved into our passion to further Jacob's Mission. Walk along side of us as we create a community center that makes a big impact and lasting change.
The signing of HB 2442 into Law on March 24, 2016 could have very well been the successful conclusion to our journey. However, we could not ignore the glaring need we had discovered for supportive and preventative services in the foster and adoptive community. We heard testimony after testimony regarding traumatized children and their families in crisis.
- Respite Care - Many children coming through the foster care system have special physical, mental health and developmental needs. Many of these children have suffered varying degrees of trauma, neglect and abuse which often manifests as challenging and extreme behaviors requiring above-average attention. Caring for these children on a daily basis can be very stressful and difficult for foster and adoptive parents. This ultimately takes a toll on the family as a whole. Our community center provides a much needed break for these exhausted foster and adoptive parents while still meeting the special needs of the children. This intervention provides parents with an opportunity to recharge, prevent burn-out, stabilize the whole family, and ultimately result in fewer foster and adoptive disruptions.
- Support Groups - Peer to Peer Support Groups allow foster and adoptive parents to provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social and practical support to one another. The Center facilitates weekly support groups including groups that encourage single parents to attend by offering free childcare.
- Trainings - Licensed Foster Parents are required to complete at least 12 hours of continuing education classes each calendar year. Training classes offered at our community center not only help satisfy these requirements but also provide all kinship, foster and adoptive parents with opportunities to further their education on a variety of topics. We are currently offering training classes on the utilization of Jacob's Law at many locations throughout Arizona. Proceeds from these trainings go directly towards funding our non-profit endeavors including the community center.
- After School Tutoring - Foster children drop out of school at twice the rate of other children. Researchers attribute the greater risk to repeated transfers where valuable credits, school records, and social networks are lost and where curriculum differs. Foster children are also estimated to lose approx. 6 months of emotional development with each new placement furthering their challenges in a new classroom. The community center offers small group and individual tutoring to help keep our children successful in the classroom and on track to graduate.
- Extra Curricular Activities - We help our foster and adoptive children reach their fullest potential by helping them discover and develop their talents. We offer activities in the community center like karate, dance, art , cooking, yoga, guitar, piano and musical theater which build confidence, create self discipline, provide coping skills and foster a sense of belonging. These opportunities allow our children to pursue their dreams and set goals.
- Private School - It is our goal to open a trauma informed private school which will specialize in teaching and accommodating children with the kinds of special needs and challenges that so many of our foster and adoptive children face on a daily basis.
- Aquatic Therapy - Water proves to be an excellent tool in working with children particularly when it comes to physical therapy and occupational therapy. Our community center swimming pool will provide opportunities for aquatic recreation as well as aquatic therapy.
- Equine Assisted Therapy - Equine assisted therapy encompasses treatments that include activities with horses to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth in our children. Horses will not only be used therapeutically but also recreationally and as a means to teach children and youth about responsibility and caring for animals.
- Family Events - Monthly Family Events including pot locks, swim parties, barbeques, movie nights and game nights are held at the community center as a means to provide wholesome family recreation, and allow parents and children to connect with others who understand their situations and experiences furthering their sense of community.
- Life & Trade Skills - Youth aging out of foster care, statistically within 5 years, are more likely to be unemployed, homeless, pregnant, convicted of a crime and/or uneducated. We are committed to helping youth transition successfully out of the foster care system. Our community center offers a mentoring program and provides opportunities for youth to cultivate life and trade skills preparing them to become productive members of society.
- Community Outreach - We facilitate outreach opportunities including community service projects, awareness campaigns, recruitment and support of new foster families and giving back to our local community.
- Advocacy - Resources and support are provided to assist foster and adoptive families in navigating the Medical/Behavioral Health System and the Child Welfare System.
"As a foster parent, I see the devastating effects of abuse and trauma on children, and the effects of caring for their unique needs on the foster families who take care of them. The work that foster parents do is critical in the lives of the children in our community, and this community center will provide vital support and resources to them as they help these children heal. It will also give children a place to belong and to have acceptance and understanding in their journey."
Brandis Goodman