This month, we caught up with Marie Fordney, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center of Southern Arizona, to learn about significant advancements in their work to help children and their families heal from abuse. Here is our conversation:
Q: Hello Marie. Thank you for taking the time to share what is going on these days at the center. Would you describe some recent organizational changes that have allowed you to expand your services for at-risk children?
In the last couple of years, we’ve had the opportunity to build our prevention programs. When I started here, we had one prevention program to go into schools to teach children how to stay safe and teach staff how to recognize and report abuse.
We now use about a dozen approaches, from parent classes and support groups to a Book Club. We know it would be better if child abuse didn’t even happen, and you actually can prevent abuse by strengthening families and giving them the resources and support they need.
Q: What are all the services -- including those services recently added – currently offered by the Children's Advocacy Center, and how do they address the needs of children and families?
The Children's Advocacy Center has been helping end abuse for children for nearly 30 years, and we’ve learned that children and families need holistic support and a wide range of services. Primarily, we support the criminal investigation by collecting evidence in a trauma-informed way. But our ultimate goal is not to put someone in jail but to help the child and their family heal. So while the child is getting their interview and exam, our Advocates help their family work through their own emotions, which are often shock, guilt, and concerns about the future. We help them think through everything they’ll need, from groceries, gas, and clothing that we gave her right then and there to outside resources like the food bank and help get a better job. We stay on the healing journey with these families, who join our support groups and work with their Advocate for as long as they need us.
Q: How many children does the organization serve each year, and what impact have you seen from the expanded services? What percentage of all southern Arizona cases are handled by the Center in a typical year?
In Pima County, there are about 9,000 investigations into child abuse every year. We only work with about 1,000 families (about 11%) because we only collaborate when there is a criminal investigation or the child may need to be removed from their home. The worst of the worst, so to speak.
Through our new prevention programming, we are helping over 13,000 children and adults before a crisis arises and an investigation occurs. Eventually, that will lead to fewer instances of abuse, but for now, it is giving children the support they need to report what is happening.
If we can help these kids before it gets that bad, they will have better outcomes in the future. This first part of the investigation is so important because the way you do it can impact how completely the child heals. Without the proper support, these children grow up to struggle with addiction, mental health, and even their physical health because of the toll that toxic stress has on their bodies.
Q: What are the primary sources of funding for the Center? How has that shifted in recent years?
Children’s Advocacy Centers have historically relied on government funding through grants. We still get about 80% of our funding from grants, but we’re fortunate that more concerned individuals in the community have been choosing to donate to us. They send their AZ tax credit donations, give a small monthly gift, write us into their wills, or support our events.
We just finished our Annual Golf Tournament, and in November, we have our Balloon Fest (Note: see event details in this month’s calendar on page XX). My hope is that these events not only raise money but also ensure that people know we’re here to help if they ever need us.
Q: How do you ensure that the care provided to children is efficient and minimizes their stress during such challenging times?
Having us collect the evidence means that these beautiful kids don’t have to be interviewed by a scary police officer in the back of a squad car; they don’t have to go to the emergency room, and our amazing medical team can provide their medical care in our bright, stress-free Center. We try to give that child a sense of control every step of the way. We follow their lead when they come back to the playroom, letting them choose the game or activity. Older youth especially appreciate knowing they can sit quietly if that’s what they need. But most often, they come in as little balls of stress, and while they’re here, they melt back into children who want Hot Cheetos and try to beat you at Connect Four.
Q: Can you discuss any collaborative efforts with other organizations or agencies that enhance the care provided to these children?
I’ve been in the nonprofit community for a long time, and this is by far the most collaborative organization I’ve ever experienced. We work very closely with law enforcement and the Department of Child Safety, but that’s just the beginning. We also work closely with Jewish Family & Children’s Services and Arizona’s Children Association, which provide Crisis Counselors housed at our Center who only see our clients.
There are too many deep collaborations like that to list, including over 25 organizations that work with us as part of our Child Abuse Prevention Council and our partners in the Pima County Domestic Abuse Coalition. I think it’s important to recognize that no one organization can do everything, especially when you’re talking about the complex needs of families who have experienced violence.
Q: What initiatives or practices do you have in place to support your staff as they navigate the emotional challenges of working with families in crisis?
We have an amazing team that truly cares about one another, and we make sure they know they have the freedom to support one another emotionally. They can take a moment after a tough case to talk it through and even cry together. We always make sure our insurance plan covers counseling without a copay so they can get the outside help they need without worrying about the cost.
Q: How do you address potential burnout and emotional distress among your team members?
We are such a close-knit team, and we all know how hard this work can be. Leaders are empowered to give their staff time off at random if they need it. Sometimes, a case is so hard that you want to go home and hug your kids or snuggle your dog, and we allow everyone the flexibility to do that.
Q: What does a typical week look like for a staff member at the Children's Advocacy Center? Can you share some insights into their daily responsibilities?
Like many jobs, there are heavy days and slow days, but we always get to interact with children and their families. We get to help end abuse, and sometimes, we’re doing that in the middle of the night because we’re on call 24/7. And we try to insert some silliness whenever we can. We have Spirit Week, like you might remember from school: crazy hair day, pajama day, and favorite color day. Laughter helps bind us together.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your goals for the Children's Advocacy Center in the coming years, and how do you plan to continue improving services for children and families?
We have a strategic plan with some key goals. One that is very important to me is to continue our work to disrupt systems of oppression. Abuse is itself an act of oppression, so we have to be certain we encourage diversity of background and diversity of thought in our staff and Board of Directors.
We can always be learning and growing in the way we see and respond to people who look or think differently than ourselves. The rest of our goals can really be summed up as expanding our reach. We want more people to know about us, for more partners to engage with our work, and for more local elected officials to understand the importance of our services. And we’re working to ensure services like ours are available in remote areas of Southern Arizona, so families don’t have to drive all the way to Tucson to find safety.
Q: What personally drives you to lead this organization, and what keeps you motivated in your role as executive director?
The kids! It can be very heavy work hearing about the terrible and cruel things that are happening to children. But I leave the Center at the end of the day filled with hope because the kids are so resilient. When I’m having a really hard day, I just have to go into that playroom and watch the stress melt off of the kids and I know we’ve made a difference. That child is safe now. Their abuse has ended and their healing can begin. It’s an honor to be part of that.
Sometimes, a case is so hard that you want to go home and hug your kids or snuggle your dog.
This first part of the investigation is so important because the way you do it can impact how completely the child heals. Without the proper support, these children grow up to struggle with addiction, mental health, and even their physical health because of the toll that toxic stress has on their bodies.