WHY WE EXIST 

Our mission has always been the same: Casa de los Niños promotes child well-being and family stability in our community.

Every day in Arizona, about 12 children are abused or neglected.

Every day in Arizona, about 12 children are abused or neglected. The effects of child abuse and neglect last a lifetime and are often passed along to the next generation. Today’s children—and those of tomorrow—deserve a better life. Through parent education and support for families, Casa de los Niños is working to break the generation-to-generation cycle of abuse.

We all pay for the effects of child abuse and neglect. The estimated annual cost in Arizona is $1.6 billion. One-third of these costs are associated with the abused child’s immediate needs, while two-thirds are spent on dealing with the long-term effects of abuse. Beyond affecting all aspects of an individual’s life, abuse increases the burden on our healthcare, judicial, social service, and welfare systems. Casa de los Niños offers early childhood mental health services to help heal abused and neglected infants and young children and an array of behavioral health services to eligible children and young adults under the age of 22.

Prevention programs take far fewer resources than intervention or treatment. Preventative health care is simpler and less costly than emergency care. The same is true for child abuse and neglect. A year of in-home visits and parent education provided by Casa de los Niños costs $5,000, while a year of foster care costs $35,000. Helping to build strong families is a cost-effective way to stop maltreatment before it occurs.