Defender Newsletter Issue 41

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DEFENDER Issue 41 | February 2024

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In This Issue: Our Paradigm Promise

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Dive into the details behind our paradigm, Hope, Homes, and Healing.

A December To Remember

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Read about an exciting holiday season enjoyed by our foster and adoptive families.

Stories of Hope Through CarePortal

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Regional stories of prevention, generosity, and hope through CarePortal.

more ways to get involved

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Take your next step with 4KIDS by participating in Gift Planning, Champions 4KIDS, EPIC Training, and/or a Vision Tour.

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Our Paradigm Promise As a 4KIDS Defender, you’ve probably heard our paradigm, Hope, Homes, and Healing. As an organization, our goal is to bring Hope to kids and families in crisis, Homes to children and young adults who need a safe place, and Healing to kids and families who have experienced trauma. We believe that through these three actions, we can transform the foster care system and break the generational cycles of abuse and neglect in our community. With our multiple integrated, hands-on programs at 4KIDS, Hope, Homes, and Healing is happening every day!

Since July, Hope has been experienced by over 1300 kids through CarePortal. This online prevention-based platform connects churches and individuals trained by 4KIDS to meet the immediate needs of struggling families.

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More than 270 children and teens have been cared for in a loving 4KIDS Home.

Recently, a sibling group of 3 boys were able to stay together because of an amazing 4KIDS Foster Family in Broward.

Although they already have 3 boys of their own, this family decided to welcome the three siblings in with open arms to care for them. Acts of love like these have been shown to more than 270 children and teens since July!

EPIC Clinicians have provided over 5800 hours of therapy, bringing Healing to countless children and families. Children entering foster care have often experienced trauma. We believe it’s important to give these kiddos a space to heal through play therapy, conversation, and building strong relationships. We also offer multiple trainings to equip parents and caregivers on how to foster healthy relationships with kids who are working through their past experiences.

HopeConnect™ is another great tool used by parents to help their children engage on a deeper level through fun, Everyday Moments™ that shed light on the love of Jesus in their daily lives.

Our paradigm of Hope, Homes, and Healing is the core of what we do. With a vision to find a home for every child, and a mission of bringing hope for kids in crisis, we are committed to redefining the future of children and families in need.

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A December The holidays always bring a desire to give back, but this year, our 4KIDS community went above and beyond to make sure the foster and adoptive families we serve felt extra special and cared for this season! From Christmas parties, to Gift of Hope, and free tickets to shows, our children and families were so grateful for the opportunity to make new Christmas memories together.

Hundreds of families attended a 4KIDS Family Christmas Party across the regions we serve!

They came ready to see Santa, eat a delicious breakfast, and make gingerbread houses.

Before the festivities began at the Broward gathering, 4KIDS President & CEO, Kevin Enders prayed over the meal and welcomed some kiddos on stage! They went on the microphone and proclaimed that, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” with smiles from ear to ear. What an incredible blessing to know these children are being taught about the love of God.

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To Remember Each year our Gift of Hope Toy Drive grows. Our toy stores overflow with new, unwrapped gifts for the parents to choose from. Every age range, interest, and hobby is accounted for so no child is left without a gift. It was a magical time full of holiday spirit and generous hearts.

Another beautiful surprise to our families this year was the gifting of free admission to see the Pomp, Snow and Cirqueumstance Show! Over a dozen families were given tickets to enjoy a fun night filled with holiday whimsy. They all expressed such gratitude, because to be given a night to connect as a family is to be given a cherished memory.

“Thank you to the donor of the Circus tickets. It was a great show, and the kids had a blast!” - 4KIDS Foster Parent This past December was truly one to remember! Day in and day out, our foster and adoptive parents give selflessly of their time, energy, and devotion to care for children walking through difficult circumstances. Being served in multiple ways throughout the holiday allowed them to mentally rest, knowing that their kiddos experienced a joy-filled season.

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Stories of Hope Through CarePortal Over 5,000 kids have been served through CarePortal since 4KIDS launched this partnership in December of 2020!

Thousands of needs were met, keeping children together with their parents and out of the foster care system. We are blown away by the way local churches and individuals have blessed those in need. Here are a few stories to inspire you and bring Hope to future generations: Due to tragic and unfortunate circumstances, three siblings with autism ages 3, 10, and 11, were left without their mother. With no family or friends to care for them, the children were staying in a shelter, but had trouble communicating as they are limited in talking and verbal cues. Around New Year’s, the need for iPads, tablets, or laptops was placed on CarePortal so that these young children could communicate with people around them. Very quickly, this need in Broward County was met and the children received the devices.

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In Palm Beach County, a teen mom in foster care was in need of diapers and bottles for her baby. She has always been eager to work and provide for herself, and even with her recent delivery, she has held true to her drive, working a part-time job while finishing high school. She has been in between jobs lately, as she she looks for a higher-earning position that would allow her to provide better for her and her baby. This young mom just needed diapers and bottles and once on CarePortal, Open Hearts for Orphans provided this need for her!

A single father of a 1.5-year-old baby girl was working full-time trying to make ends meet, often skipping meals himself to make sure his daughter had food. Without a car, he has to take Ubers to work, doctors’ appointments, childcare, and the grocery store.

A need for Uber gift cards was placed on CarePortal to assist this father and ease financial burden. A generous member of the Treasure Coast community purchased gift cards for this man so he can better care for his daughter – what a blessing!

This online prevention platform acts as a bridge, connecting those in need, to those who can meet the need. With over 100 active church partners, 4KIDS’ outreach with CarePortal is allowing more families to be impacted in real-time than ever before! 5,000 served in just 3 years, we can’t wait to see what will be accomplished in the next 3 years and beyond.

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More Ways to Get Involved Vision Tours Come and hear stories of transformed lives made possible by your generosity! During a 4KIDS Vision Tour, you’ll learn all about what makes 4KIDS unique and discover other ways that you can make a difference for kids and families in need. Vision Tours are offered quarterly in-person at 4KIDS Headquarters in Broward.

To sign up for the next one, visit: 4KIDS.us/VisionTour

Champions 4KIDS Get together with other business executives monthly to collaborate on different 4KIDS initiatives! Meetings occur in Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast. For more information, visit: 4KIDS.us/ Champions4KIDS

smarter Giving Make a transformational gift that protects your family and creates more Hope, Homes, and Healing through 4KIDS. Design your first estate plan or update an existing one with our trusted partner Financial Planning Ministry (FPM), a service available at no cost to you when you include a bequest to 4KIDS. Sign up for the next informational webinar at: 4KIDS.us/EstateandLegacyPlanning 10

Training & Resources Gain fresh insight on how to work with kids who have experienced trauma, and how to be more effective as a parent or leader in any child’s life. EPIC training is free and occurs online over two days. To register for an upcoming training, visit: 4KIDS.us/EPICTraining We also have various parenting videos, blogs, and tip sheets created by our 4KIDS Clinical Team available at: 4KIDS.us/EPIC/DigitalResources Visit HopeConnect.org for dozens of fun, everyday activities to do with any child in your life to instill a Biblical sense of hope and healing.

YourChange App We’ve partnered with the YourChange App to make it easier than ever to impact the lives of children in need.

The YourChange™ App gives people the ability to round up their purchases to donate and the option to give one-time donations instantly. You’re always one click away from making a difference. Visit YourChange.app to download the app,

Thank You 4KIDS DEFENDERS! Because of your recurring gift, between October and December: 649 children found hope through CarePortal 208 children were served in loving foster homes 2612 hours of therapy helped kids and families discover healing

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