AZCAAC Advisory Council

AZCAAR's flagship program, AZCAAC, the Arizona Center for African American Children, was created in 2016 specifically to give voice and visibility to African American children and their well-being in Arizona through various forms of advocacy.

Working collaboratively with organizations, agencies and community activists, AZCAAC's mission is to create sustainable and improved life opportunities for African American children in Arizona in the areas of child welfare, education, health care, and juvenile justice.  

2021 Highlights

• AZCAAR received a $5,000 grant from the Arizona Community Foundation to have Evandra Catherine, Ph.D., study the allocation of  ARP funding in Arizona's African American organizations relating to various child well-being issues 
• AZCAAR received a $15,000 grant from the Jack and Jill organization our initiatives and work on early childhood literacy
• AZCAAR co-hosted the 2021 African American Conference on Disabilities in its first ever virtual conference due to COVID-19 and had a over 11,000 attendees expanding the conference's visibility to a national and global level.

2020 Highlights

• AZCAAR received a $1,000 grant from High Mountain Health for our work in the African American community.
• AZCAAR received a grant from Brighthouse Financial for our AZCAAC initiatives on child well-being and early childhood literacy
• AZCAAR received a $1,000 grant from Schreiber Foods for our AZCAAC initiatives on child well-being

2019 Highlights

• AZCAAC, in conjunction with its parent organization, AZCAAR, co-hosted the 2019 African American Conference on Disabilities and  conducted 4 workshop on historical trauma and its impact on African American  children.
• AZCAAR receives a $5,000 sponsorship from the Valley Toyota Dealers Association and a $500 sponsorship from Superstition Springs Lexus for the 2019 African American Conference on Disabilities

2018 Highlights

• AZCAAC Advisory Council is developing a formal strategic plan to address issues impacting African American children in the areas of child well-being, education, health care, and juvenile justice. 
• Met with AZ DCS Director, Greg McKay, to discuss African American children and disproportionality within the state's child welfare system.
• Created BookNBarbershops, a community literacy program that has given hundreds children's books to barbershops, beauty salons, schools, churches and organizations to encourage early childhood reading and literacy.
• Hosted 4 workshops at the 2018 African American Conference on Disabilities on child welfare, education, health care, and juvenile justice.
• Collaborated with Pinal County Juvenile Justice Officials to discuss and bring awareness to disproportionality  among African American children in the system.
• Collaborated with United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS) to  become  STEM advisor at Maxine Bush Elementary School in Phoenix.
• Partnered with Phoenix Children Hospital to host workshops on how trauma impacts children's development and life (ACEs study).

2017 Highlights

• AZCAAC Advisory Council members are appointed to chair the Governor's Council on Child Safety and Empowerment subcommittee on African American Children and Families.
• AZCAAC held 1st advisory Council meeting to begin work on collaboration among the various organizations.
• ACE's Consortium provides multi-year neuro-sequential & trauma training for two AzCAAC Advisory Council members.
• AZCAAC partners with Black Mother's Forum to assist in school discipline issue impacting African American children and youth.

2016 Highlights

• AZCAAR receives a $5,000 grant from the Arizona Cardinals for it child advocacy work using it's AZCAAC Advisory Council.
• Hosts a state-wide child welfare summit focusing on the state of African American children in Arizona.
• AZCAAC executive director speaks at the Arizona juvenile justice Commission on the disproportionality of African American children in the system.
• AZCAAC works with the Agape Adoption Agency on issues concerning African American children in the child welfare system and trauma.
• AZCAAR announces the formation of AZCAAC as a means put a focus on the state of African American children in Arizona. 

DONATE Today

Your generous donation will help continue AzCAAC's work to bring awareness to the inequities and life challenges facing African American children in Arizona and to resolve those issues to create a happier, healthier and more productive life for African American children in Arizona.