Family Matters

The work of prevention is driven by the desire the protect children, to stop child abuse before it ever happens. But prevention isn’t just about avoiding harm—it’s also about creating the kind of world we want: one in which all children and families are living purposeful, happy lives with hope for the future.

People in our sector are feeling a lot of uncertainty lately. We are unsure how possible changes happening in our country will affect children and families, and how it will impact our work. It’s hard to know what to do with we think systems we’re part of might suddenly change.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how multiple different things can be true at once.

Raising children is tough—especially in today’s world, and especially when parents and caregivers feel alone. The team at Polara Health wants people to know they’re not alone; in fact, a whole cadre of experts and programs exist locally to help create stronger families.

“Children don’t come with manuals, nor does parenting,” said Beni Garcia, child and family counselor and a specialist in trauma-informed parenting at Polara Health.

She added that humans are wired to be part of a community; the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” is based in science.

By Robin Layton, Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters For Lucy Papas, becoming a mentor wasn’t just about giving back—it was about making a meaningful difference in a young person’s life. A single mother raising her daughter, she had always admired the idea of mentorship....

The local Boys & Girls Clubs have grown in the past few years; they offer day camp programs as often as possible, generate outdoor adventure experiences for youth, and innovative ways to connect with kids. They have adhered to their foundations of safety and academic enrichment while developing confidence and character across the wide variety of fun offered to Club Kids.

Navigating 2025, the Clubs are stalwart in sustaining their adventures. They have begun to hire program specific leaders to enrich their adventures even further. Archery classes are evolving into an archery crew with the hopes of a competitive youth team. This offer of program and youth enrichment is not limited to those who need the Clubs most; Clubs in Prescott and Prescott Valley are offering our services to all who seek adventure.

Since 1982, Adult Care Services (ACS), a local nonprofit, has provided essential care to adults living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other cognitive or physical challenges.

One of its key programs, the Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center, operates Monday through Friday and provides a variety of services aimed at enriching the lives of participants and fostering a sense of purpose, well-being, and community. These services include daily exercise, meaningful activities, and social interaction. A dedicated team of nurses offers wellness support and ensure the health and safety of each participant. The center boasts a beautiful new garden complete with raised beds, walking paths, a sports area, and a splashing water garden. The center enhances the lives of its attendees and offers much-needed respite to caregivers, allowing them time to rest and recharge from the demands of around-the-clock caregiving.

As the calendar makes steady progress toward springtime, we naturally seek opportunities to be in nature and to embrace the warm sunlight of the lengthening days. Are you looking forward to finding ways to connect with nature, to feeling your hands in the dirt, and to getting some spring planting underway? Are you starting to notice different birds at your backyard feeders and getting curious about neighboring species of plants and animals? As life wakes up around us, these final days of winter have a way of making us feel a little “squirrely” and craving the fresh air of the outdoors.

At the Highlands Center for Natural History, a nature center on Prescott National Forest near Lynx Lake, our joy and calling is to facilitate opportunities for people to meaningfully engage with nature. As environmental educators, we often use the term “sense of place” to describe the ways in which people connect with their home, in the outdoors. Perhaps you are familiar with the term “Central Highlands,” the swath of land that extends like a sash across Arizona, northwest to the edge of the Mojave Desert and southeast into New Mexico. This patch of terrain comprises Prescott and describes our home.

Owner of Blooming Into You Guides Clients to Healing and Empowerment so They Can Show Up Better By Heather DeSousa “Blooming into you is all about changing the programming, beliefs and narrative we’ve created from childhood. Releasing and changing those old thought...

In October, I attended a Prevent Child Abuse America board meeting in Chicago. Part of the time was focused on celebrating the life of SuEllen Fried, a beloved Prevent Child Abuse America lifetime board member, who passed away on October 3 at the age of 92.

The stories shared by the staff and board members who knew her were a gift to listen to. It was moving to feel how she had impacted so many. It wasn’t only the work she did that had changed lives, it was who she was that changed lives.

I didn’t know SuEllen well, but the few times I had met her were unforgettable. She was the kind of person who would make you feel deeply, unquestionably valuable and important. She made you feel seen. She called out the best in you because of her boundless, unshakable kindness.

Kindness has that power. Kindness is deeply memorable. And kindness can heal and change people, even when nothing else can.

At the end of June, I got the chance to participate in a meeting of the national board of Casey Family Programs. The meeting was focused on the effect of the pandemic on children, families, and the field of child welfare. We heard from a diversity of professionals, including a pediatrician, a sheriff, a school administrator, and a researcher.

I left that meeting brimming with hope.

The pandemic has had many terrible, tragic consequences, most notably the enormous loss of life. But alongside the magnitude of the losses, the presenters shared the positive transformations the experience of the pandemic had catalyzed.

The sheriff shared that in his field, law enforcement officers were realizing that in order to best protect children and communities, it wasn’t just about responding to violence, it was about connecting families to what they needed.

For more than 50 years, Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters (YBBBS) has made meaningful supported matches between adult volunteers (Bigs) and youth (Littles) ages six through 24. YBBBS develops positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of local young people.

A few days ago, my two-year-old Kira was playing with a little shark squirt toy. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the hang of filling it up underwater. She began to whine. “Do you need help?” I asked. “You can say, ‘Mama, I need help.’”

We’re trying to teach her to ask for help before she breaks down. It’s a work in progress.

I’ve noticed lately that it’s not just my two-year-old who needs to work on this. Asking for help is a struggle for most adults, too. Myself included.

Why is that?

Prevent Child Abuse Arizona Executive Director Claire Louge recently celebrated ten years with the organization and reflected on what she’s learned during her tenure. We’re sharing her reflections here to help spread awareness of child abuse prevention, including how it’s changed, what’s working, and what the future holds.