Family Support Services
Family Support Services are here to strengthen families by equipping parents with the tools, resources, and encouragement they need to succeed as caregivers. We work alongside families through guidance, connection to resources, and hands-on assistance.
Family Support Services empowers families to navigate challenges, celebrate milestones, and create a safe, nurturing environment where children can flourish.
Advanced Training Series
Our 6-week training series, with 2-hour zoom sessions each week, explores the Neurosequential Model of Caregiving developed by Dr. Bruce Perry. This developmentally informed, biologically respectful approach integrates neurodevelopment and trauma principles to guide caregivers in supporting at-risk children, their families, and communities.
Facilitated by certified trainer Cathy Tompkins, this series offers foster parents valuable insights and practical tools to enhance their caregiving skills. Completion of this series fulfills the required 6 hours of annual training for foster parents.
Online Support Chats
Parents need a safe space to share both the joys and challenges of raising children impacted by trauma and foster care. Our weekly online support chats, hosted by experienced facilitators, offer caregivers the chance to connect with others—from the convenience of home—whether while the kids are at school or after bedtime.
Parent Training
Our training courses focus on topics essential to nurturing healthy relationships between parents and children who come from state custody. Practical strategies that parents can apply immediately are emphasized throughout the sessions. Currently, all courses are offered online for convenience.
Foster parents must complete a required number of training hours annually to maintain their licenses. Kinship and adoptive parents also benefit from ongoing skill development as their children grow and face new developmental stages.
Parent Mentor Partners
Research shows that peer mentoring helps sustain foster parents, reduce burnout, and improve retention. Sharing information among parents is essential for building confidence and developing the skills needed to care for children placed in their homes.
AZAFAP has trained volunteer parents who serve as mentors, offering one-on-one support to foster, kinship, and adoptive families through personalized conversations and guidance.
For more information on Parent Mentor Partner, please complete the form below.
