Aviva Children's Services

The following is an overview of the scale and impact that our Volunteer and Support Programs have in providing basic needs and other services that further enhance the quality of life of children in CPS.

 1.  Bags for Kids Program: This volunteer-run program supplies more than 4,000 handmade cloth duffel bags each year to dependent children and enables them to carry their personal belongings with dignity through placement changes. In addition, hand-made quilts and blankets are provided to children as comfort items. More than 3,000 of these blankets are distributed annually by ADCS workers. 

2.  Life Book Project: A Life Book is an album that tells the story of a child's life. It is a chronological account told in words and pictures that starts with the child's birth and follows their experiences up to the present time. The story is told in a sensitive, accurate, and truthful way.

For children growing up in the foster care system, a Life Book may be the only record they will ever have of their early years. 

3. One-Time Urgent Needs:  In partnership with the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, Aviva provides an emergency supply of diapers to DCS Workers and Foster Parents. Additionally, Aviva offers store cards to DCS Workers for the purchase of food items; as well as basic necessity items not available in the resource closet, such as shoes, bras, and feminine hygiene products. 

4. Quilting Program: Aviva provides lovely handmade quilts and blankets made by our volunteers and various quilting groups in our community. Quilts are distributed to children along with a stuffed animal. Last year we gave out nearly 3,000 quilts and blankets.

5. Aviva's Resource Closet:  Our clothing and resource closet offers new and gently used clothes, new socks and underwear, hygiene kits, household cleaning kits, school supplies, and other essential items such as food, shoes, and diapers. This resource is available to DCS workers, foster care licensing workers, and current placements. 

6. Holiday Project: Aviva distributed toys to more than 2,500 children in DCS  this past holiday season, ensuring most of Pima County's foster children had gifts to open on Christmas morning.