Tu Nidito Children and Family Services

Tu Nidito creates a community of acceptance and understanding for those grieving a serious medical condition or death. Our vision is No Child Grieves Alone.

Tu Nidito has become our community's trusted experts on grief. For over 25 years, southern Arizona has depended on Tu Nidito's compassionate grief support programs and resources to guide us on our grief journey. Grief is embedded in our experiences and part of everyday life, yet we shy away from talking about it. We do not readily acknowledge grief, we do not listen deeply to one's grief, we do not let others be in their pain. We want to fix their grief, telling them it will pass, they must be strong. Grieving people do not want advice and they cannot be fixed. They need to be heard, we need to join them on their journey and let them be in their pain. We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable sharing grief.

Tu Nidito was created in 1994 to fill an expressed community need for comprehensive, child-centered, coordinated care for children living with life-threatening medical conditions and their families. In 2000, Tu Nidito merged with Children to Children, bringing a new component to Tu Nidito's services by offering support groups for children who are grieving the death of a loved one. The need was so great that this quickly became Tu Nidito's largest program, helping hundreds of children each year cope with the sadness, anxiety, anger, and fear after the death of a loved one. In 2008 we also began offering support to children who have a parent with cancer and in 2011, the program expanded to children who have a parent diagnosed with a serious illness. In 2016 we officially launched our Grief Education and Response programming to ensure that educators and other professionals in the community working with youth had the tools and knowledge to support grieving youth. We have expanded this work to include How to Facilitate Grief Conversation workshops which trains adults to facilitate peer to peer grief support groups in schools with Tu Nidito's curriculum. Most recently we have added the Opportunity Youth program to our continuum of bereavement support services. The program serves youth who are or have been involved in the juvenile justice system. These youth have experienced traumatic loss that has gone unaddressed and unresolved. All programs further Tu Nidito's mission of creating a community of acceptance and understanding for those who are grieving.

Testimonials

"Tu Nidito has been a blessing, it has helped my children understand a lot better about my condition and how to express themselves." - Tu Nidito mother with serious medical condition

"Coming to Tu Nidito is something both my children look forward to. They feel safe and have a great sense of belonging." - Tu Nidito Parent

"I always feel at home with Tu Nidito." -Tu Nidito Young Adult

"Tu Nidito has had a huge part in the healing process of my daughters losing their father. I will always be forever grateful for their love and understanding."- Tu Nidito Family