Defender Newsletter Issue 42

DEFENDER

Issue 42 | May 2024

This Issue:

For the long haul

The goal of foster care is always reunification. As long as the situation is safe, the best place for a child to end up is with their biological parents or relatives. Many times, gaining continuous support and encouragement from the child’s foster parents is the oil that can keep a biological family’s train going.

The Greene* Family took in a sweet little boy to care for who had been removed from his parents, but shortly after, his grandmother stepped in. She wanted to keep the relationship with her grandson, and although the Greene Family was sad to see this little boy leave their home, they wanted to stay involved in his life and walk alongside his grandmother in her new ‘parenting’ journey. After transitioning him out of their home, they came to see the boy often, provided supplies, and stayed in constant communication with his grandmother! They kept such a healthy, flourishing relationship that the grandmother even asked them to be his godparents!

Having multiple healthy parental figures to look up to is a blessing for children who have been through challenging situations, and we are so grateful for the collaboration, kindness, and dedication families like the Greene’s exhibit. For them, it’s more than just opening their home, it’s the life-long impact this boy experiences simply by having people who show up and stand in the gap during his time of need.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the families we serve.

A bond unbroken

One of the unfortunate truths about foster care is that sibling groups are often split, simply because there are not enough foster homes who can take them in. The capacity of many foster parents is typically 1-2 children, so when an entire sibling group needs a place to call home, they are often split between homes. For a child to be not only be removed from what they know, but also who they know can be an extremely traumatic experience, but two of our amazing 4KIDS Foster Families wanted to ensure this wasn’t the case for a group of 3 kiddos.

When a sibling group of 2 sisters and 1 brother entered foster care, they were split between two different homes. The Collins* Family welcomed the girls, and the Titus* Family welcomed the little boy. Through the separation, both sets of foster parents got together weekly to have the kids complete sibling visits!

The foster parents have since become great friends and spend time together with their families and the 3 siblings. They coordinate play dates and make sure the siblings stay as connected as possible. Both families are in communication with the children’s biological parents regularly, and have supported them throughout this challenging time. In a few weeks, the kids will be reunified with their biological parents, and all parties are so excited and supportive! We’re hopeful that the bonds between the two foster families, the children, and their biological parents will last beyond reunification and bear fruit for years to come.

Through amazing 4KIDS Foster Families like these, kids from hard places experience less trauma while in care and leave with a greater network of loved ones and support.

Miami On The Map

This February, we officially opened the doors to our 4KIDS Miami office! It was an exciting afternoon celebrating expansion and looking ahead to the transformation that’s going to come in the lives of so many children and families in Miami-Dade County.

Ryan Noble, Executive Director in Miami, stood alongside Dennis Miles, Southeast Regional Managing Director for the Florida Department of Children and Families, Kevin Enders, 4KIDS President and CEO, Shevaun Harris, Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families, and Rodney Harris, Mayor of the City of Miami Gardens as they cut the ceremonial ribbon. Pastor Adrian Molina of Vous Church then prayed a blessing over the building and 4KIDS Team.

As of right now, our Miami location has 4 foster families with 6 more in the process of becoming licensed! One of our incredible 4KIDS Foster Parents in Miami even opened her home to a teenage boy, and when she heard this boy had a younger sister, she joyfully welcomed the 4-year-old girl in as well. Already, this group of advocates is bringing dedicated service and quality care to Miami, and we are so excited to see what the future will bring!

“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we’ve received from local and state government officials, other nonprofits, church and business partners as we finally plant roots in Miami-Dade. This marks the beginning of 4KIDS’ commitment to transforming the lives of kids and families in crisis and make a deep impact on the landscape of child welfare in this community.” - Ryan Noble

Parties, Parrots, and Pirates, Oh My!

It’s officially springtime, which means our Foster & Adoptive Families get to enjoy our beloved 4KIDS Family Picnics! Last month, a pirate-themed day of outdoor fun and games happened, and ‘shiver me timbers’ it was a blast!

Nearly 700 kids and families gathered across Broward, Palm Beach, Southwest Florida, and the Treasure Coast at several regional picnics where the parents were able to unwind while the kiddos got to wind-up! Laughter and shrieks swept through the parks as the kids held baby monkeys and perched parrots on their shoulders. The energy was off the charts in the pirateship themed bounce house and the competition was fierce during cornhole.

Although it’s no doubt the children enjoy themselves at each of our gatherings, these events also create a sense of belonging, fun, and friendship in a world that can seem isolating for blended families.

“It’s not the norm to be this supported in foster care, and we feel so blessed that our children have these resources.“

- 4KIDS Foster Mom

Hope

A young mom in Palm Beach County found herself in a difficult situation with her 2-year-old son. Experiencing severe allergic reactions, her son was frequently in the hospital and in and out of doctor’s offices. He was often sick due to old carpeting in their home, but when this mother reached out to her landlord, they were unwilling to make any changes or accomadations.

Because this mother was already in a financial bind, a request for a carpet cleaner was posted on CarePortal, an online platform that connects local churches to needs in the community. In a very short amount of time, a local church member responded and provided this carpet cleaner to the family!

The generosity of this community continues to abound. Because of this donation, the mom is hopeful her son is on the road to better health!

HOmes

Back in January, a 13-year-old boy needed a home after being removed from his family. Due to no fault of his own, this little boy needed to enter a group home, but the environment posed some struggles for him. After some time, he was again in need of a loving foster family.

Our 4KIDS Placement Coordinator was determined to find the right family who would care for him and give him the love he so desperately needed. She called multiple families explaining the situation, and finally, one of our amazing 4KIDS families welcomed him with open arms.

For this boy, being in a group home was causing anxiety and conflict. He hadn’t heard about the love of Jesus and our 4KIDS Team knew his potential, and how he could shine in the right environment. Now that he has been with a 4KIDS Family, he has heard about how much Jesus loves him, and is growing every day, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

HEALING

After being in 4 different homes at the age of only 4 years old, a little boy with autism was adopted into the Pace* Family. The Pace’s adore this little boy and have been taking him to EPIC Therapy to grow, learn, and deepen his connection to the family.

His mother recently sent a text to one of our staff members saying,

“I can’t tell you how much he has started to change and heal this past year! ...instead of threats to expel we are in talks to integrate and instead of the “developmental delay” stigma attached to him he is testing at an almost second-grade level in kindergarten. He was so happy to ‘graduate’ from his therapy with 4KIDS that he has been high fiving himself and telling everyone how he is a big boy now!”

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

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 January and March across all the regions we serve:

549 children found hope through CarePortal 186 children were served in loving foster homes

2,604 hours of therapy helped kids and families discover healing

2717 West Cypress Creek Road

Lauderdale, FL 33309