Arizona Association for Foster & Adoptive Parents

With the goal of increasing the stability, well-being, and connection of Arizona's foster, kinship, and adoptive families and their children, our purpose is to strengthen and encourage those families through education, financial and emotional support, relationships, and providing opportunity for a voice throughout their journey.

In 2002, a group of foster parents who were licensed under several different social services agencies joined together to create an organization that would allow foster and adoptive parents, statewide, to advocate, network, and provide support to each other. At that time, Arizona was the only state in the country that did not have an organization to meet this need. As a result of their efforts, in 2003, the Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents (AZAFAP) was founded to serve foster, kinship, and adoptive families in Arizona. AZAFAP currently has over 500 member families who believe that there is strength in numbers and in speaking with one voice for Arizona's foster and adoptive families. AZAFAP provides a wide variety of programs and services for foster, kinship, and adoptive families in Arizona. Our programs include Family Connections (activities for families), Family Support Services, Children's Basic Needs, and Community Awareness. Our goal is to provide essential resources and support to families that enable the children and family unit to thrive.
Foster, kinship, and adoptive parents are on the front lines of child welfare, parenting, and advocating for the most vulnerable children of our community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The support provided and offered by the state and licensing agencies is minimal and often not enough to meet their need. Burnout is high. Research shows that the more support a family receives, the more likely it is that they will continue foster and the placement of the child will not be disrupted. It is in everyone's best interest for healthy families to continue to foster and adopt. AZAFAP understands this need and has worked with foster, kinship, and adoptive families to create programming that will provide the necessary support for their families to thrive.

Testimonials

"I rave about AZAFAP endlessly to all my friends & family! The service you provide to our family as members is fantastic, awesome, & wonderful! This group allows our family opportunities we would not be able to afford without your generous group discounts! We are delighted to have events, outings, the thankful box, & camps! Appreciate all of that!"

"This is an amazing organization that provides so much help and support to foster and adoptive families! We have been blessed so much by this organization and have built amazing support systems through it. We will always be a part of this organization as it helps us to be better parents."

"Great organization that supports our community. They provide excellent support to children impacted by foster care and the families who love them."