The one consistent adult
In April, we are reminded of a simple but profound truth: for a child navigating the foster care system, one consistent adult can change everything.
This work is only possible because of a community that believes children deserve to be seen, heard, and supported. To our volunteers, partners, and supporters, thank you for being part of that impact. Together, you help create stability, build trust, and open the door to a more hopeful futures for children across our community.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
CASA Volunteer Week — Celebrating & Inspiring
We are proud to join communities across Arizona in honoring Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers and the life-changing impact they have on children, from birth through young adulthood. In each issue of the Voices of Hope newsletter, we highlight the dedication, compassion and skill these volunteers bring to their appointed youth and the overall child dependency team. These include case managers, therapists, educators and foster/group placements.
April 6–12, 2026, marks CASA Volunteer Week, proclaimed for the second consecutive year by Governor Katie Hobbs. This statewide initiative, led by CASA of Arizona and supported by CASA programs across the state, unites a collective voice to recognize and celebrate current and former CASA volunteers, while encouraging others to step forward, learn more, and become child advocates themselves.
In Maricopa County, the breadth and depth of support is inspiring! These communities care deeply about their own and about others. Municipalities are renewing their commitments and new cities and towns are joining this mission, reflecting the strength and unity behind our shared vision of a more hopeful future for all.
These are our neighborhoods, and together we can take pride that we not only seek to understand but we act on what is needed to protect children, strengthen families, and honor the spirit of volunteerism.
Join us in thanking CASA volunteers and the Maricopa County municipalities that are honoring CASA Volunteer week.
Positive outcomes
Big thanks in small handwritting
Sometimes, the impact of a CASA volunteer shows up in the most heartfelt places—a child’s handwritten letter.
In this note, you can feel the excitement—movies, roller skating, shopping, laughter. Simple moments, made special. Moments that became possible with a CASA volunteer walking alongside them.
To a child living in foster care, these experiences are more than just fun outings. They are bright spots filled with hope and promise. They shape critical memories of being included, of being seen, of being valued.
CASA volunteers help create these moments—but even more importantly, they create something lasting: trust, connection, and the reassuring presence of someone who shows up, again and again.
And sometimes, that impact is summed up best in a single, heartfelt “thank you”—written painstakingly in pencil, filled with childhood whimsy, and brimming with gratitude.
To our supporters: thank you for making moments like these possible. Your generosity helps open doors to experiences, connection, and care that every child deserves.
And to those who feel moved by this note—who see the joy in these simple moments and wonder if they could be part of it—consider exploring what it means to be a CASA volunteer. It starts with showing up—and can lead to changing a child’s life in the present…and future.
Want to make a difference in your community?
If this story speaks to you come join us at our next information session, and learn what it really means to become a CASA Volunteer.
In focus
Turn your tax dollars into a steady presence for a child
As tax season winds down, there is a unique opportunity here in Arizona to make a direct difference in the lives of children living in foster care, at no extra cost to you.
Voices for CASA Children is a Qualified Foster Care Organization (QFCO #10010), which means your donation may qualify for the Arizona Qualified Foster Care Organization Tax Credit. This allows Arizona taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state taxes.
But beyond the financial benefit, this is about something much more meaningful.
Your support helps ensure that every child has access to one consistent adult. A CASA volunteer who shows up, listens, and advocates through every change and challenge. While so much in a child’s life may feel uncertain, that steady presence can make all the difference.
Donations through the QFCO tax credit directly support the resources CASA volunteers rely on, from basic needs to meaningful experiences that help build trust and connection. These are the moments that remind children they are seen, valued, and not alone.
This tax season, you have the chance to turn what you owe into something powerful. The QFCO filing threshold is $618* (single) or $1,234* (married filling jointly). The deadline for tax year 2025 is April 15, 2026. QFCO Code #10010
If you have already donated for the 2025 tax year, thank you for your support. As a reminder for the 2026 tax year, the contribution limits will be $632 (single) and $1,262 (married filing jointly).
TAX CREDIT BENEFITS
VOICES is a Qualified Foster Care Organization. You can receive tax credit benefits for your donations in the 2025 & 2026 tax filing year! QFCO #10010
#BeTheirVoice
Community voice
A partnership rooted in purpose
We are deeply grateful for the many compassionate companies who support our mission and the advocates and children we serve. Among them, one partner holds an especially cherished place in our hearts — MG Properties, who has given not just generously, but wholeheartedly, since 2017.
Over nearly a decade, the MG Properties family has contributed almost $16,000 through monetary donations, toy drives, and thoughtful in-kind gifts. This year, they went even further — hosting their 2nd Annual Walk the Talk event at Tempe Town Lake on March 27, 2026, raising $2,000 to help us honor our CASA volunteers at this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.
Regional Manager Lisa Cote captured it beautifully: “It is truly an honor and a pleasure to support our community and the CASA volunteers who give so selflessly to the children who need them most.”
The morning’s most tender moment came from a MG Properties team member Keomy Williams, who shared that she is a CASA of Maricopa County volunteer herself — currently advocating for her third child. At the request of both the child and the family, she continues to share a monthly meal with the very first youth she served, who has since reunified. “I just love giving back in this way,” she said — a simple statement that says everything.
To the entire MG Properties family: we see you, we treasure you, and we are so grateful you walk this journey with us.
My CASA journey
One steady presence
What does one steady presence look like as a CASA?
It means building gingerbread houses over the holidays because the kiddo is housebound. It’s taking them shopping for hygiene items and slipping in glitter lip gloss among the practical essentials. It’s driving 60 miles each way to their new placement and the drive becomes totally worth it when you see the relief in their eyes.
Whether it’s a baseball mitt to play catch, a graphic novel for a struggling teen reader, or building blocks for an active toddler, CASA volunteers engage. VOICES can provide this support (the toys, the retail gift cards, and assistance with fuel costs) to CASA volunteers because of a community that cares.
This April, we celebrate the CASA volunteer’s steady presence in getting to know these children, advocating for their unique needs and most importantly, seeing their potential.