Casa de los Niños, through the help of its well-trained staff and facilities, has continued to serve Tucson families for over 50 years.
The nonprofit was founded in 1973 by emergency room nurse Sister Kathleen Clark as a shelter for children when their families needed a break. Today, the establishment provides a wide variety of services from counseling, preschool education, adoption and resources for expecting mothers. Vice president of development and public relations Favin Gebremariam started at the organization due to its dedication to offering aid to families in underserved ZIP codes.
“There was never really a place for children to be safe like this prior to Sister Kathleen,” Gebremariam said. “So while we started out as a shelter, we have pivoted away from that congregate-style care, that orphanage-style care, to more of a prevention, intervention and treatment model.”
A major focus of the nonprofit is keeping costs low for the families it serves, especially with regards to preschool fees. According to an annual report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the average cost of childcare in Arizona in 2023 was $10,883. This can be a large burden on lower-income families looking for preschool or daytime child care, and Casa de los Niños works to alleviate this through its Kelly Early Education Center.
“The Kelly Center has about 70% of its slots saved for families who are underserved,” Gebremariam said. “So, either they pay very little for their child to come to school, or they pay nothing, and it’s subsidized by the Department of Child Safety. We want them to be able to come to Kelly and be kindergarten ready by the time they leave, like their peers who live in better ZIP codes.”
Location is everything for the organization, which has stayed in the same spot since its creation. Sitting on Fifth Avenue in the center of the city, Casa de los Niños aims to stay accessible to those who don’t have steady access to transportation or can’t miss work.
“There have been times in the history of Casa de los Niños of moving to a ‘safer space’ but we’re right off the bus line in the center of town,” Gebremariam said. “It’s really accessible for people coming from all different neighborhoods. And so I think for us, the accessibility piece makes us unique. We’re one big campus where everything takes place, so you don’t have to travel all across town to get different services provided.”
As with many other charitable organizations in the area, one of Casa de los Niños’ struggles has often been securing funding. The nonprofit mostly relies on donations from the community and government grants and funds. The organization takes pride in paying staff a livable wage and providing quality services, which makes securing funds more difficult.
“At any given point, you know, more than half of our budget is either state or federal dollars,” Gebremariam said. “Tucson is incredibly philanthropic. There’s a lot of different organizations that do similar things. And so you end up fighting for the same amount of money from a small population of like-minded givers.”
Those interested in donating can visit the “How to Help” section on the website at casadelosninos.org. Individuals who donate are eligible for tax credits.
Gebremariam also strongly encourages anyone who needs assistance…or even just wants to know more…to contact Casa de los Niños.
“I think one of the things that we’ve experienced a lot is, culturally, sometimes it’s hard to ask for help,” Gebremariam said. “It’s hard to ask for help with certain family dynamics, but that’s what we’re here for. And there are no judgments. There are no preconceived notions. When you’re coming to Casa de los Niños for support, there’s nothing we haven’t heard before, and so we encourage people, even if you’re thinking about it, to call or just walk in and talk to somebody about your situation.”
Casa de los Niños
1120 N. Fifth Avenue, Tucson. For information, 520-624-5600, casadelosninos.org. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
