Candelen

Today, we celebrate the fathers and father figures who show up with wisdom, patience, strength, and heart.

Through every lesson taught, word of encouragement shared, and example set, you help shape brighter futures for the next generation.

Thank you for the lasting impact you make every day.
Happy Father's Day!

Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a day that marks the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States and serves as a powerful reminder of both our nation's history and its continued pursuit of justice.

Juneteenth is a celebration of resilience, perseverance, and the enduring belief that freedom and human dignity belong to all. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the profound impact of those who fought for liberty, equality, and civil rights, often in the face of extraordinary adversity.

We recognize that the legacy of inequity continues to shape the experiences of many children and families today. Honoring Juneteenth calls us not only to remember the past, but also to remain committed to building communities where opportunity, belonging, and support are accessible to all.

👶 Arizona babies need strong early support.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗬𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗮. These programs help identify developmental delays early, support parent-child relationships, provide child care assistance, and connect families to health and mental health services.

Right now in Arizona:
• Over 12,000 children are waiting for child care assistance
• Infant care costs $14,000–$15,000 per year
• Many families already face long waitlists for services

Cutting funding would make these challenges even harder.

👉 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: tr.ee/speakupforazbabies

☀️ Arizona Summer Safety ☀️

June is National Safety Month, and in Arizona, heat and water safety are especially important for young children. 💧

Quick reminders for families and caregivers:
💧 Always supervise children near water
🚪 Install and maintain secure pool fencing
🔒 Keep gates closed and latched
🛟 Designate a “water watcher” during gatherings
🚗 Check the back seat every time
🧴 Reapply sunscreen throughout the day
🥤 Encourage frequent water breaks
🌡️ Watch for signs of overheating
📱 Limit distractions around water

🤽 Drowning and heat-related emergencies can happen quickly. A few simple precautions can make a life-saving difference. 💛

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Arizona summer! 🌵 🌞

Every family deserves to feel seen, supported, and connected.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the importance of creating communities where all children, caregivers, and families feel they belong. 💛

A cozy reading corner. New learning materials. A caregiver who pours her heart into the children she serves. 💛

Recently, our team visited Olga, one of our 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗵 & 𝗞𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 participants, and got to see the beautiful literacy space she created inside her home child care program using materials provided through the program.

From books and writing tools to hands-on learning materials, every detail was thoughtfully arranged to help young children build early language, reading, and writing skills through everyday play and exploration.

Seeing Olga’s excitement, and hearing her heartfelt words of gratitude, was a powerful reminder that when we invest in caregivers, we help create stronger learning environments for children from the very beginning.

Thank you, Olga, for the love and care you bring to your community each day.

At Candelen, connection is at the heart of every partnership, mentorship, learning group, and every community we serve. Through shared experiences, trusted relationships, and meaningful support, we create spaces where caregivers feel encouraged, children feel loved, and families feel they belong.💜

🌟 Meet the incredible team bringing Candelen’s Kith & Kin Program to communities across the Navajo Nation! 🌟

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗧𝘀𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗲, Specialist, and 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝘆, Early Care Educator, are passionate advocates for children, caregivers, and families throughout the Navajo Nation. Together, they support family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers by delivering early childhood education resources and services through both community-based and home-based models rooted in culture, connection, and care. 💛

Through strong partnerships with schools, chapter houses, and local organizations, Calvina and Paula are helping expand access to critical supports for caregivers and young children across vast rural communities.

Their dedication, teamwork, and commitment to traveling long distances to reach families continue to strengthen relationships, grow awareness of Candelen’s Kith & Kin Program, and create meaningful impact throughout the Navajo Nation.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆!

We had a great time presenting at the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼, an annual relationship-building event hosted by Prevent Child Abuse Arizona in partnership with the 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆.

Held this year at the Renaissance Glendale Conference Center, the Expo brought together 84 different organizations committed to supporting children and families across Arizona.

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, collaborate, and share resources with others doing this important work.

A special thank you to our 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻 team members Jorge Sanchez, Sandy Mendoza, Meka Harbert, and Jacqueline Diaz for representing us at this year’s event!

We’re excited to share that Candelen Kith & Kin Director, 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗮, will be presenting alongside 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗰𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻 at the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗔𝗣) 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 this July, hosted by 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗮. 💛

Their workshop, “𝙁𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚: 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩,” highlights the critical role family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers play in supporting young children and families across Arizona. The session will explore evaluation findings from Candelen’s FFN caregiver program and how intentional support for informal caregivers can strengthen protective factors, improve caregiving practices, and build stronger systems of support for families.

We’re proud to not only sponsor this year’s conference, but also contribute to conversations that center prevention, connection, and community-based support for children and families across Arizona.