Arizona Children's Association whose strict goal is to create programs for youth and families, invested in prevention, intervention and permanency programs. The Arizona Children's Association is the oldest and largest statewide nonprofit child welfare agency. Founded in 1912 as an orphanage for homeless children, the Arizona Children's Association has a simple, consistent mission: to protect children. The organization is huge, with more than 40 programs, spanning 15 Arizona counties and impacting up to 46,000 children and families each year. In July 2010, the Arizona Children's Association merged with a program called "In My Shoes." Founded by a former attorney, In My Shoes is a mentoring program giving former foster children the opportunity to give back and mentor children currently in foster care. Listening to the effort and time these people invest in the progress of these otherwise forgotten children is nothing short of inspiring. It was necessary to create this program. Having a relationship with a caring and consistent adult is crucial for a child's development. The In My Shoes program was created to meet this need. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay There are more than 10,000 children in Arizona's foster care program. Many of these children will age out of the system. In Pima County, where In My Shoes was founded, there are an average of 3,151 open addiction cases. Even more alarming is that 2,800 of them were living in foster families or group homes. For Joan Wagner, these figures were unacceptable and unfair. She created the In My Shoes program in collaboration with Pima County Juvenile Courts. Mission Statement: To promote community care and safety, promote the rehabilitation of children and families, facilitate the protection of abused and neglected children, and facilitate the delivery of services. families and children involved in the justice system. There is one particular issue that unifies almost all cases brought before the dependency system. Children and youth enter the dependency system because they do not have parents or guardians willing or able to raise them. Youth eligible to join the In My Shoes program are youth who will age out of the system. Volunteers make the difference. Walking in the same shoes brings a depth to the mentoring experience that cannot be replicated. Only adults who grew up in foster care, shelters, kinship care, or group homes can participate in the In My Shoes program, for good reason. No one, not even the old children of the state, can truly understand what any given child is going through, because every experience is different. But having someone to talk to, someone to confide in, this caring and consistent relationship with an adult can make the difference in a child's life. Asking former foster children to take on the responsibility of being living proof to homeless and abandoned children that things get better is a service of indescribable value. Eighty percent of adults incarcerated in correctional facilities are considered "state graduates" and participate in the juvenile justice system, child welfare programs, mental health or education systems.