For over 40 years, Aviva Children’s Services has worked to fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life for children who are victims of neglect, abuse and poverty and are in the care of Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS). Aviva responds to the needs of children in foster care by providing programs and resources to enhance their self-esteem and well-being as well as supplying necessity items such as clothing, shoes, blankets and personal care items.
Aviva Children’s Services was founded in 1978 by a group of concerned citizens who came together to address shortfalls in Arizona’s foster care system when they were highlighted by a series of articles in a local newspaper. This group decided there were things that they could do to help, and they began to provide services and resources to foster families. Since that time, Aviva has tried to meet the unfulfilled needs of foster families and step into the gaps wherever possible to support them. Over the years Aviva has provided an array of both formal and informal supports to children and families involved in the foster care system. These services have included a tutoring program for children, a supervised visitation program, a parent training program, a parent peer support program, a specialized visitation program for mothers and newborns and a community resource center for kinship and foster families.
In July of 2019 Aviva became a wholly owned subsidiary of Easterseals Blake Foundation. Together, Easterseals Blake Foundation and Aviva Children’s Services will develop a Center of Excellence for children involved with or at high risk for involvement with the Foster/Kinship care system. The Aviva Center will be a preferred provider of system partners such as Department of Child Safety, State Foster Care Health Plans, school systems, law enforcement and families along the continuum of risk, removal and reunification. For more information about Easterseals Blake Foundation please visit easterseals.com/blakefoundation
Leadership
Board of Directors
Gene Goldstein, President
Brian Connelly, Vice-President
James Woodrow, Treasurer
Eric Meyers, Emeritus
Betsy Bruce, Radio and Entertainment Industry
Gabrielle Ficchi, New Perspectives LLC
David Iaconis, BeachFleischman
Greg Leiner, Assured Partners of Arizona
James Maina, Main Street Executive and Employee Benefits
Joey Medina, Journey Payroll and HR Tucson
Shay Stautz, Shay and Shay Consulting
Jason Smith, Smith & Wamsley
Staff Leadership
Steve Guthrie
Chief Executive Officer
Laura Morales
Chief Operating Officer
Marissa Arendt
Chief Financial Officer
Megan Wills
Chief Community Programs Officer
Dina Scalone
Chief External Relations Officer
Dr. Carly Zies
Chief Clinical Officer
Dr. Sally Boeve
Chief Medical Officer
Cristina Greenberg
Aviva Director