Hope Community Services

Hope Community Services' mission is to create lasting solutions for children and families by providing innovative programs to foster safe and healthy communities within Arizona.

Hope Community Services (HCS) started in 1986 as West Valley Child Crisis Center (WVCCC) providing emergency shelter services for children who had been neglected, abused, or abandoned.

Today, HCS is proud to be among the nation's premier trauma-informed care providers. We work toward our mission, to create lasting solutions for children and families, through our evidence-based child welfare and behavioral health programs.

The need and reasons why HCS exists:
• 25% of American youth experience a serious traumatic event by their 16th birthday, and many children suffer multiple and repeated traumas. The impact of trauma can be significant and last well beyond childhood.
• In FY2020 there were 45,172 reports of abuse neglect and abandonment to AZ Dept. of Child Safety
• As of 6/30/20 there were 14,152 children in out-of-home care (foster care) in AZ
We exist to ensure that children have a safe stable and healthy environment where they can heal and thrive.

Our programs include:
• Foster Care
• Adoption
• Training (Foster Parent College)
• Supervised Visitation
• Parent Aide
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Animal Assisted Therapy
• Equine Therapy (utilizing mini horses)
• SURGE - for Minor Trafficking Survivors
• General Therapy

Our impact for our 2020 FY:
• 31,686 Bed Nights for Children in Out-of-Home Care
• 3,557 Parent Training & Visit Hours
• 5,644 Supervised Visitation Hours
• 3,288 General Therapy Hours
• 2,424 Equine Therapy Hours
Total Served: 1,203

The need for our services continues to grow and we are preparing to make an even greater impact this year.

Testimonials

HCS Success Story - Riley & Cooper

Riley was placed into foster care when she was 6 years old. Her younger brother Cooper was 19 months old. They came into care due to their mother getting incarcerated for a drug charge and neglect.

"When they came into my care, I just remember the fear in Riley's eyes and the concern she had for her little brother. She was so motherly to him. You could tell that she had been the one caring for him probably his entire life," Riley's foster mom, Melony, said. "Riley's shoes were about 3 sizes too small and her toes were starting to come out of the top of them and Cooper was just so dirty. Riley had never been to the dentist in her life and needed a tremendous amount of work done. She also didn't know how to read and was very behind in her schooling."

Unfortunately, circumstances like this are the sad reality for many children. This story however, ends up being a success story.

Melony acted quickly to get Riley and her brother the supports they needed. She worked closely with HCS, getting resources to help with the immediate necessities that they needed. She set up medical and dental appointments for them right away. She worked with the school to get Riley an IEP to help get her caught up with her education. Melony was also able to get Riley into HCS's trauma therapy program to help her work through her past traumas.

Riley and Cooper were adopted in October of 2020, and they are healthy, thriving and so very loved!

"It has been truly amazing to watch them both grow and flourish the past couple of years, especially Riley. She is reading and writing and is considered to be average for her grade level. And more importantly, she gets to be a child. She plays with toys and sings and dances now," said Melony.