Child advocates hope people turn their anger about a Mesa abuse case involving a 3-year-old into action to help all Arizona's abused and neglected kids.
The girl was found dirty and duct-taped inside a central Mesa apartment Monday. Police believe she was also sexually assaulted. The child's mom and her male friend have been charged in the case.
There are 19,000 Arizona kids now in foster care, and many of those children were abused and neglected.
The Childhelp Children's Center in Phoenix is often one of the first stops for these kids. You can help those kids by donating Target and Walmart gift cards to buy clean clothes and new toys.
"Every single child who goes to that center goes home with a brand new toy, said Childhelp's Michael Medoro.
"For many of the children that come to the center, that's the first time they've been gifted a toy of any kind."
The court system can be overwhelmed to a little kid. And there's a need for more volunteer court-appointed special advocates (CASAs)
Beth Rosenberg from Children's Action Alliance said, "It's absolutely a voice for children."
CASA workers meet directly with foster kids and help judges decide what's in the best interest of each child.
"Making sure they are getting their needs met whether it's behavioral health counseling they need, medical needs making sure they are in the right school and getting the services they need to succeed," said Rosenberg.
Advocates say the greatest need in Arizona is for new foster and adoptive families. You can get more details on how to become a foster parent from the Department of Child Safety.
Other volunteering or donation opportunities:
Foster Care Review Board https://www.azcourts.gov/fcrb/Volunteer
