Oh, unmet needs! The kids that come into our homes most certainly come with these. We often have them. And these little suckers are what… well… often suck the life out of us, whether it is helping the children in our care heal from them or healing from our own. What is an unmet need? We as human beings have basic emotional needs. We need to feel safe. We need to feel belonging. Capable. Loved. A sense of control in our lives. Cared for. Pleasure. As though our physical needs will be met (food, shelter). Understood. While this is not

According to AZCourts.gov (2020), data shows that in 2020 there were 6,500 children under the age of 5 in the child welfare system. This means that very young children had been removed from their homes and placed in group homes (yes there are group homes for children five and under), foster homes, and kinship (some of which become foster homes) placements. Many of those children are removed due to neglect, and about 50% of them are reunified within 1-2 years. Some may find this data disheartening. What I see in these numbers is a great need for our community to