For the past 13 years, Mele Ferreira has been dedicated to helping families navigate the challenges of supervised visitation with Casa de los Niños. What started as a part-time gig transporting families to their visitations quickly laddered up to Mele discovering his passion for work as a supervised visitation caseworker.
Casa de los Niños provides supervised visitation services for families referred by the Arizona Department of Child Safety because they’re facing challenges at home. The ultimate goal of these visits is to reunify children with their parents, and caseworkers like Mele play a crucial role by forming supportive relationships with the parents, offering guidance as they strive to create a safe and loving home.
Through regular visits and a caring attitude, the team helps families rebuild trust and grow stronger together.
Having worked for both Tucson Parks and Recreation and Casa de los Niños, Mele uses his experience in community programs and youth engagement to support families in the visitation process. He often suggests games and activities to allow families to interact in unique and meaningful ways during their supervised visit.
“Now that I’m retired from Tucson Parks and Recreation, I enjoy using my extra time helping to cover visits or transport families. We work with clients from as far as Oracle, Phoenix and Douglas, so a lot of time is spent on transportation,” Mele explains. “By having a dedicated transporter, the caseworker can focus more on the visit and complete more visits in a day.”
With every family that reunites with one another, it serves as a reminder of why Mele and his colleagues do what they do—giving parents the tools and support they need to create safe, loving homes for their children.
From Client to Provider: Sarah’s Transformational Journey
In 2017, longtime foster parent Sarah Steele learned about the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program at Casa de los Niños while preparing to welcome her first biological child into the world.
She immediately considered how the program could benefit the parents of the foster children she worked with. After starting the program, she realized how deeply NFP would support her personally, helping her prepare for parenthood in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
Casa de los Niños’ NFP program pairs first-time parents with a dedicated nurse who provides home visits during pregnancy and for two years after birth, tracking both the baby’s and mother’s well-being. Each NFP nurse’s mission is to support the baby’s health while ensuring the mother has what she needs for a healthy lifestyle.
“NFP helped me understand what I needed to do to be ready for my baby,” Sarah says. “It’s been transformative, both for the families I’ve worked with and for myself.”
The impact of NFP extended far beyond pregnancy. Sarah says the knowledge she gained helped shape how she approached selfcare and carried her through both a second child and a surrogacy experience. She was so inspired that after completing the program, she felt called to continue the mission, joining Casa de los Niños as a family support specialist. Now, she uses her experience to uplift other families, paying forward the guidance that once made such a difference in her own life.
Recently, Casa de los Niños announced an expansion to the NFP program, called NFPx, that will open services to mothers who have already had children, offering support they might not have received during their first pregnancy. This will expand the program to help even more mothers, giving them the confidence to navigate parenthood and build a strong foundation for their family’s future.
Jeanne Landdeck-Sisco:
A Legacy of Care
In the mid-80s, Jeanne Landdeck-Sisco discovered a newspaper ad that changed her life—and the lives of countless children. A post for the executive director position at Casa de los Niños sparked her passion for helping children in crisis.
What began as a job soon transformed into a life mission. Building on the vision of the organization’s founder, Sister Kathleen Clark, Jeanne served as CEO from 1987 to 2004. In that role, she worked to shed light on the pain endured by neglected and abused children.
Jeanne joined the Child Welfare League of America shortly after accepting the position. Surrounded by passionate leaders, they crafted groundbreaking national standards of care, with Casa de los Niños serving as a national model. Knowing the need for crisis care would persist, and funding sources would inevitably shift, Jeanne initiated the formation of the Casa de los Niños Foundation in 1998. The Foundation conducts vital fundraising activities, ensuring long-term sustainability for the organization. A pivotal moment came in 1989 when the organization secured one of the first major grants awarded by Angel Charity for Children, significantly raising the organization’s community presence.
As the spotlight on Casa de los Niños grew, Jeanne’s voice became synonymous with the urgent need for child welfare resources. She connected with national, state and local leaders and the press to advocate for vulnerable children. Jeanne shared that one of her most cherished memories is the visit from President Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Today, Jeanne continues to serve on the Casa de los Niños Foundation Board of Directors,
advocating for children and providing insight into the organization’s roots and values. Her legacy is a powerful reminder that we can change lives and inspire hope for future generations with dedication and commitment.
“The need for helping services for children, teens and families is greater today than it was in 1973 and Casa de los Niños is there to meet that need,” Jeanne says.
Our GratiTour celebrates you... our supporters!
Join us for a fun-filled evening and learn about our vision for the future. Tie up your shoes, tour our facilities and learn about our programs!
During the evening, we’ll express our gratitude for the many ways you have helped us become one of the longest serving and trusted organizations in Pima County.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
5:30 - 8 p.m.
Casa de los Niños Campus 1120 N. 5th Avenue
Enjoy hosted hors d’oeuvres and beverages
Help us cover costs and pay what you can!
Please respond by Thursday, April 24
For questions or to reserve your place, email us at give@casadelosninos.org or call Monica at (520) 870-2760.
