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In 2015, two organizations with different histories, different campuses and different beginnings made an important decision:
They could do more together than they could apart.
That year, Crisis Nursery in Phoenix and Child Crisis Center in Mesa merged to become Child Crisis Arizona, creating one organization with a stronger voice, broader services and a deeper ability to support vulnerable children, youth and families across Arizona.
It was not simply the story of one organization absorbing another.
It was the coming together of two legacies built on the same belief:
Every child deserves safety. Every family deserves support.
Two Organizations. One Shared Purpose.
For nearly four decades, Crisis Nursery and Child Crisis Center had worked in neighboring communities, each responding to the needs of children and families in its own way.
In Phoenix, Crisis Nursery was founded in 1976 by Dr. J. Kipp Charlton, Barbie Perry and a group of dedicated community volunteers who believed families needed a safe place to turn during difficult moments. What began in two small cottages on Fillmore Street grew into an organization known for providing emergency shelter and compassionate care for children in crisis.
In Mesa, Child Crisis Center was established in 1981 through the determination of the women of Mahnah Club, who saw that children in the East Valley needed a safe place closer to home. Their vision led to the creation of a shelter that would grow into a trusted resource for children and families throughout the region.
Although they served different communities, the organizations shared much in common.
Both had been created by people who saw a need and took action.
Both provided safe shelter for children.
Both believed that helping children meant supporting families.
And both understood that the challenges facing Arizona's children were growing more complex.
Responding to a Growing Need
By 2015, the need for services supporting vulnerable children and families was significant. Leaders from both organizations recognized that bringing their experience, resources and programs together could create a stronger, more comprehensive organization.
The merger brought together emergency shelter, foster care and adoption services, early education, home visitation, family support and prevention programs.
At the time of the merger, the new organization served more than 8,000 children and families annually, with approximately 250 employees and a combined budget of $14.5 million.
But the significance of the merger went beyond numbers.
It created an opportunity to think differently about what it means to support children.
What if an organization could be there when a child was in immediate danger and help prevent that crisis from happening in the first place?
What if families could find not only emergency shelter, but education, resources, guidance and support to help them build stability?
What if children could be supported not just in a moment of crisis, but throughout the many stages of childhood and young adulthood?
Those questions helped shape the organization that would become Child Crisis Arizona.
A New Name for a New Chapter
In October 2015, the newly combined organization announced its new name:
Child Crisis Arizona.
The name reflected a broader vision.
This was no longer only a Phoenix organization or an East Valley organization.
It was an organization committed to serving children and families across Arizona.
The merger brought together the histories of Crisis Nursery and Child Crisis Center while creating room for something new: an organization focused not only on responding to crisis, but on strengthening families and helping children thrive.
And that vision has continued to grow.
From Crisis Response to Whole-Family Support
Today, Child Crisis Arizona's work extends far beyond the emergency shelters that defined its earliest years.
The organization continues to provide emergency shelter for children who need a safe place during a crisis. But alongside that critical intervention are programs designed to help children and families build safe, stable and healthy futures.
Through foster care and adoption services, Child Crisis Arizona helps children find permanent, supportive families.
Through kinship care and family support, caregivers receive resources and guidance as they step forward to care for children in their families.
Through early education and family education, parents and young children have opportunities to build skills, relationships and strong foundations for the future.
Through Healthy Families and prevention programs, families can receive support before challenges become crises.
Through behavioral health and wellness services, children, youth and caregivers can access support for their emotional and mental well-being.
Through youth services and extended foster care, young adults transitioning from foster care can find mentors, resources and practical support as they build independence.
And through basic needs assistance and community resources, families can find help with some of the everyday challenges that can make stability difficult to achieve.
Today, Child Crisis Arizona is also creating spaces where wellness, connection and community can flourish. The Center for Child & Family Wellness in Mesa serves as a hub where families can access workshops, classes, camps, services and connections to community partners. From music and mindfulness to movement, education and counseling, the approach recognizes that supporting a family means supporting the whole person.
The goal is not simply to respond when a family is in crisis.
It is to help create the conditions where children can be safe, families can be strong and every child has the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Honoring the Past. Building the Future.
The 2015 merger is an important chapter in the story of Child Crisis Arizona because it brought together two remarkable beginnings.
The vision of Dr. Kipp Charlton and the volunteers who created Crisis Nursery in Phoenix.
The determination of the women of Mahnah Club who helped establish Child Crisis Center in Mesa.
Two organizations.
Two communities.
Two histories.
One shared mission.
And today, 50 years after the first seeds of this organization were planted, that mission has grown into something much larger.
Child Crisis Arizona is here for children in moments of crisis, for parents working to build stronger families, for caregivers opening their homes, for young adults finding their way and for families looking for the resources and relationships that can help them thrive.
The organization that began with a handful of community members asking how they could keep children safe has evolved into a comprehensive community resource—one that works to protect childhood, help futures take shape and promote lifelong wellness.
The needs of children and families may continue to change.
But the commitment remains the same:
Safe Kids. Strong Families.
