Mission

The mission of A & A Cottages, Inc. is to make a positive difference in the lives of at-risk youth through quality residential and supportive services that promote dignity, integrity, and personal responsibility.

Respect, Acceptance, and Understanding

There are currently close to 10,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system. The children that grow up in our foster care system do not do well as they reach adulthood and will often face repeating the cycle of poverty and violence in their lives. It is the goal of A & A Cottages to arm these youth with the tools necessary to become strong and healthy adults. Once these abused youth reach adulthood, life continues to hold little hope for this population. According to the Children’s Action Alliance, statistics for youth in foster care are grim. They state that “youth who were formerly in foster care are more likely to face health and mental health problems, homelessness, joblessness, low educational attainment, substance abuse problems, and incarceration” than youth not faced with the realities of foster care. Sadly, studies of foster youth have found that: 66% will never graduate from high school, 25% will be homeless, 54% have current mental health problems, and 5% have a serious drug problem. (Statistics all taken from Children’s Action Alliance, March 2005).

In July of 1996, Anita Williams and Annette Gehling opened the doors of Vista Linda Home in Mesa to six teenage foster care girls; and by doing so, created the start of A & A Cottages. Anita and Annette had both worked in group homes and shelters for teens and understood that they are a unique population that requires both stability and independence. Teenagers are facing one of the most difficult times in their lives, a time where they are developing a sense of themselves and who they will become. It is a period that requires both continuity and a capacity for change.

Since that time we have provided a safe and nurturing environment to over 500 girls. We currently operate one group home, our Vista Linda Home, that can provide a safe place to live for up to ten girls at a time. The youth in our homes are traditionally placed here until they turn 18 years of age. During that time we truly become home to these girls. We strive to provide the teens with all the skills needed to face our world. A & A Cottages meets our mission through providing wrap around services that include residential care, independent living, transitional living and foster care and adoption recruitment. Through our comprehensive services we strive to meet our vision of stopping the cycle of poverty and violence in lives of our communities abused youth.

We currently provide four different programs to address the needs of these at-risk teens:

As we enter out 12th year, A & A Cottages will continue to provide a home environment to girls in foster care, and enhance our programming to meet their complex needs.  It is our commitment to continue to challenge ourselves and community to provide these at-risk youth with ongoing and long term support and services.