Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Arizona’s Children Association donates historical archive

Arizona’s Children Association recently donated a significant collection of historical materials to the Arizona Historical Society to increase accessibility of the information while ensuring ongoing preservation of the materials.

Arizona’s Children Association was founded in Tucson, in 1912, as a receiving Home for the dependent and neglected children of Arizona. The agency has grown tremendously over the years to provide a diversity of services now available within each county of Arizona. Their story is a testament to the people of Arizona who have remained committed to providing hope for children and families.

The bulk of the collection contains materials from 1915 – 1960 and includes early newsletters, Board minutes, business correspondence, accounting journals, a treasure trove of photographs and scrapbooks as well as the memoir of one of the original founders, Minnie Tevis Davenport. The oldest document in this collection is a scrapbook, from 1915, containing newspaper clippings from “opening day.” The donation does not contain case records or adoption information.

“We are very fortunate that our agency’s founders and early leadership had the foresight to preserve so many original materials,” said Arizona’s Children Association’s President and CEO Fred Chaffee. “As we celebrate our ‘First Century of Hope,’ we are also looking forward to the future and we recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure that these materials are protected and remain accessible for generations to come.”

The Arizona Historical Society Library and Archives’ actively collects and preserves materials that chronicle the history of Arizona. The story of Arizona’s Children provides a rare insight into the development of child welfare across Arizona.

“We are thankful to the Arizona Historical Society for their support of Arizona’s Children Association,” added Fred Chaffee. “Our agency has a proud and interesting history that will now be preserved as a significant part of the state’s history.”

To learn more about the history of Arizona's Children, visit www.arizonaschildren.org and click on AzCA Centennial.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Discover How Infants and Toddlers Learn


Why are the years from birth to 5 years old so important?

How does a child learn?

Parents and caregivers often struggle to understand the best choices for their child when there are so many products for sale that promise drastic changes in your child’s development.

These are the kinds of questions that New Directions Institute for Infant Brain Development (NDI) answers so that parents and caregivers can help children develop healthy brains. This information is provided in Wired for Success® Workshops that are provided free of charge at locations all over the state.

Wired for Success® explores brain development with a special focus on Security, Touch, Eyes (vision), Play, and Sound, the five key components of NDI's S.T.E.P.S. to Early Brain Development® curriculum. This workshop addresses new and cutting-edge developments in neuroscience and presents practical methods for stimulating healthy early brain development in children. It provides parents and caregivers with training and tools to help every infant, toddler and preschooler in Arizona develop a healthy brain and enter school ready to learn.

Upcoming dates and locations listed below. We invite you to please join NDI for one of these free workshops:

Tempe:
Saturday, July 16, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM,
Tempe St. Luke's Hospital, Tempe
(en espaƱol)
Sponsored by First Things First

Tucson:
Saturday, July 16, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
University of Arizona Medical Center
Sponsored by Freeport-McMoRan

For more information call 602-371-1366 or visit our website www.newdirectionsinstitute.org.

New schedule information updated regularly online.