In 1985, Terry and Faye Zealand formed the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children after meeting and being inspired by the plight of a 2-year-old HIV-positive orphan living in the hospital. After consultation with professionals in the field of pediatric AIDS, it was determined that there was a need for a transitional care facility near Newark’s hospitals. Thanks to the help of the original advisory board, the late Sister Elizabeth Maloney, an administrator of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and several others, Terry and Faye were able to secure a one family brick home in Elizabeth—the first St. Clare’s Home for Children. St. Clare’s opened its doors in May 1987 to its first child, a two-month-old girl with HIV, followed by four other children under the age of six. This home has been identified as the first transitional care facility in the nation for children with HIV/AIDS.

Terry and Faye’s work as Founders has ensured that ARFC’s commitment to Health, Family, Compassion and Advocacy still exists after a quarter century of providing care. Dedicated to finding family-centered solutions

Academy Street Firehouse, 2002
In continuing its mission to serve youth, ARFC opened a unique after-school program to address the specific educational and psychosocial needs of children living with, affected, or orphaned by HIV/AIDS.  The Firehouse program serves over 75 children each year.

Brighter Beginnings Transitional Home, 2011
With success of the Housing Program, ARFC opened a transitional home for HIV-positive women seeking to gain the skills necessary to live independent and productive lives. Residents receive guidance and support from professional staff that are invested in the success of each resident’s individualized goals.