Investment Highlights
Several years ago, CAAF began exploring the possibility of developing its own special initiatives. These initiatives are designed to promote CAAF's mission and goals of providing a much-needed direct service to impacted families with children under the age of 13 who are either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
CAAF Camp Network serves as a resource to bring together all camp providers, provide funding for the provision of camp services, increase the number of children that attend camp every year and to foster the development of new camps in areas where camps are non-existent. Current membership for the CAAF Camp Network is 34 camps. In 2003 the members receiving funds from the CAAF Camp Network served over 2500 children. Please visit us at www.caaf-campnetwork.org
CAAF Dial-A-Kid is an initiative that was developed by the CAAF staff based on research compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation from the last U.S. National Census and the Current Population Survey. According to the survey results, 4.3 million children in the U.S. are living without telephone service. The CAAF Dial-A-Kid Program aims to provide low-income HIV impacted households with children to the much needed telephone service that most Americans take for granted. Most of the impacted households that CAAF serves have at least 2 or 3 children. Initially, CAAF is introducing the CAAF Dial-A-Kid Program in North Carolina with the goal of extending it to other states around the country.
CAAF Play Areas Initiative is our newest project. We at CAAF understand that children of the HIV/AIDS epidemic suffer from constant emotional distress and social stigma. They lose their sense of security and often lack access to activities of enjoyment and recreation that many children take for granted. CAAF has been a strong advocate of kids having fun. In recent surveys, CAAF learned that safe and attractive outdoor play areas are a huge and often expensive need for pediatric AIDS service agencies that provide respite for parents and day care for children. Usually, such agencies give very low priority to their play areas because of more pressing needs for their resources. The CAAF Play Areas Initiative will help identify those providers nationally that may be in need of building or renovating their play areas to provide joy, fun, exercise and new socialization experiences to these deserving children.