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About Us

Who We Are

Coconino CASA for Kids, (CCFK) is a local 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that is completely led
and operated by volunteers. Coconino CASA for Kids was founded in 2011 by a small group of
community members who saw a need to support the CASA volunteers and the children, youth
and young adults that are involved with the Arizona Department of Child Safety. CASA is an
acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASAs are specially trained volunteers, certified
by the Arizona Supreme Court, who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected
children and youth who are involved in a dependency in Coconino County.

Coconino CASA for Kids (CCFK) furthers its mission by awarding financial assistance for basic
needs and wants, such as food and bicycles, by organizing a Giving Tree over the winter
holidays, by supplying books for bonding between biological parents and their children, by
providing kinship families with assistance at the beginning of a case by supporting the courthouse dog, Franklin, and by helping the Arizona Department of Child Safety with needs at their Coconino county offices.

Over the years, CCFK has been funded through grants, individual donations, and other fundraising. Since 2019, the Arizona Department of Revenue has certified Coconino CASA for Kids as a qualifying foster care charitable organization for individual income tax purposes. This has allowed CCFK to concentrate on growing programs and providing more assistance to vulnerable children and families in the child welfare system. We greatly appreciate
the individuals who choose to support CCFK through this tax credit opportunity.

meet our board of directors

Who We Serve

Through various forms of assistance, Coconino CASA for Kids strives to help every child with a
dependency in Coconino County! We provide assistance to children served by CASAs of
Coconino County, to children with a dependency originating within Coconino County but
without a CASA, to children placed in Coconino County but with a dependency originating out of
a different county in Arizona, and to local children identified by the Arizona Department of Child
Safety as at risk and needing assistance to prevent removal of the children. In addition, we
continue to support those young adults who have “aged out” of the system without having been
adopted and with their official ties with their biological parents having been severed. The
number of children receiving assistance varies year to year but each year is well over two hundred children, youth and young adults.

CCFK supports the CASAs by offering gas cards for those traveling long distances for their
volunteer duties, by providing dollars for attendance at local, state and national trainings, and by buying books for an in-house book group. CCFK also helps the local CASA program with
recruitment of volunteers, with appreciation events, with Franklin, the courthouse dog, and with the on-site visitation room.

Blavin-Bettin Scholars Grant Request
Coconino County Grant Request

Coconino County will help the following with basic needs and wants, including orthodontics:

1. A child aged 0-21 with a dependency originating within Coconino County, regardless of where the child is placed.

2. A child aged 0-21 placed in Coconino County but with a dependency in an Arizona county other than Coconino County.

3. A child aged 0-21 that DCS has identified as at risk and needing support to prevent a dependency; and,

4. A young adult who aged out of the DCS system but is continuing to receive support from DCS.

5. CCFK will also help families living in Coconino County with the safety equipment needed to become a licensed foster care home.

Gila County Grant Request

Coconino CASA for Kids is here to help the children and youth of Gila County with basic needs and wants. The child’s dependency must originate in Gila County but the child can be placed anywhere, including group homes and treatment facilities. Some examples of basic needs and wants are: clothing, food, school supplies, gas, baby supplies, sports fees and equipment, musical instrument rentals, outings for siblings, summer camp, and furniture. $75 per child per month can be requested for diapers and is automatically approved. DCS caseworkers and CASAs can submit a request. Most requests will be reviewed by a committee and a decision will be communicated within 48 hours. Requests will be filled on Mondays and Thursdays. Most requests are filled with a physical or electronic gift card, not with the actual item.