Defender Newsletter Issue 31

issue 3 1, august 2 02 1

defender MAGAZINE

Stories made possible by your impact inside!

in this issue an epic feature...

4KIDS Clinical Team hosts a therapeutic summer camp after a year of innovation and growth.

summer highlights...

Updates From 4KIDS Independent Living Program, 4KIDS Specialized Homes, and Back to School Bash events.

a walking miracle 4KIDS Family fosters and then adopts a baby girl who was brought into care with 17 broken bones.

more than a calling...

Tex and Courtney Guignard, young advocates for kids in crisis, open up their home for fostering.

other ways to get involved...

Information about Champions 4KIDS, Young Advocates 4KIDS, EPIC Trainings and Vision Tours.

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a n epi c feature August started off on a high note with our EPIC Summer Camp!

It was all hands on deck as the 4KIDS Clinical Team and a few of our interns put on a week-long therapeutic summer camp with 10 pre-teens who were all fostered and then adopted by different 4KIDS Families. Each camp member was paired up with a staff "buddy" for the whole week and given opportunities to learn self-regulation and trust-based relational intervention through an array of activities. From "crash and bump" obstacle courses to "show and tell," every activity had a lesson behind it based on trauma-informed care. This was the fourth year of being able to host camp, and the first time

having a "Parent's Day" for all the kiddos adoptive parents to get a chance to experience what camp would be like for their kids! For our Clinical Team, getting to plan and orchestrate this year's EPIC Summer Camp was the pinnacle of a year full of innovation and growth. Last year, at a moment's notice, our team of more than a dozen therapists had to switch over from in-person therapy sessions to telehealth services.

They also produced online content to serve a greater audience during the pandemic, creating EPIC Tip Videos, Blogs, and Tip Sheets to further equip 4KIDS Families and the community. Through their commitment to kids and families, between July 2020 and June 2021 our clinicians facilitated more than 10,000 hours of therapy!

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4KIDS Clinical Team during "Parent's Day" at EPIC Summer Camp

New Graduates After more than a year of not meeting together in-person, all four of our 4KIDS Independent Living Homes had a graduation party for a few residents who just recieved their high school diplomas! They spent time sharing encouraging words about each graduate and praying for their future endeavors. Congrats, grads!

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Su m mer hi g h li ght s

The Fab Five

Ready for School

Two brothers and three sisters who were placed in a 4KIDS Specialized Foster Home were adopted together! House parents Melissa and Rocco have been deeply involved in these kiddos lives for three and a half years, and we are thrilled that they can now officially be called a forever family.

Nearly 300 kids came out to our 4KIDS Back to School Bash events in Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast to pick out their own backpack and school supplies for the new school year. We so appreciate every individual and group that gave generously so that all of the children and teens we serve can be set up for academic success!

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A walking m ir acle In May 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joiner family took in a 5-month-old baby girl with severe medical issues due to physical abuse. Her ribs were broken in over 11 places, her arms broken, and her hips broken as well. The doctors who initially treated her at the hospital also suspected that she had been sexually abused, seeing that she had a very strong aversion to males. They also reported that she was the worst case of child abuse they'd ever seen in an infant, and predicted that she would have a long road of recovery ahead.

The Joiner Family, however, who had been fostering through 4KIDS for three years already, felt called to take her in.

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“We had actually been planning to close our home for fostering because we had just adopted a second child, and now had four children in the home. I had even gotten rid of all my baby stuff (cribs, infant car seat, etc.)

Then, I got a text from 4KIDS about Mia. The first thing I read was that she had 17 broken bones.

Instinctively, I texted back, "yes." We made arrangements for me to visit her in the hospital (which was challenging since this was during the shutdown), and the nurses told me she had been by herself with no visitors for four days. I picked her up out of the crib and immediately fell in love,” shared Melissa, 4KIDS Foster and Adoptive Parent.

Despite all the medical appointments, physical therapies, surgeries that went on for months, with each day the Joiner's love for Mia only grew stronger. After 359 days in their home, Mia became a permanent member of their family this May!

First steps Because of the extreme abuse Mia experienced, for a long time she was terrified of new spaces, strangers, and being left alone.

She longed to be held often and there was concern for how long it would take her to begin crawling, sitting up, and standing. With the consistent love and care of her 4KIDS Family though, Mia began walking just days before her adoption. For most babies, things like becoming mobile and learning to play independently are all exciting accomplishments. For Mia specifically, her ability to hit these milestones also shows the incredible strength and healing that's possible when a child in crisis finds a place to belong and is surrounded by people who love them.

the joiner family They were able to celebrate Mother's Day 2021 together as a new family of seven.

sibling love For her adoption day, Mia and her "official" big sister Sophia wore matching dresses to the court house. For much of 2020, Sophia had been begging her parents for a little sister, so she was thrilled when they brought Mia home from the hospital. Now, Sophia and the three other children in the home all cater to Mia's every need, going above and beyond to give her whatever she wants. They call her the "little boss" of the whole family!

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mo re th a n a cal lin g Tex and Courtney may be two of the biggest young advocates for kids in crisis that we know! Tex and his siblings grew up in foster care, and when he aged out, Tex made the decision to come to 4KIDS Independent Living. He went from being a resident to then being promoted to resident advisor, serving in that capacity for nine years. Courtney came down to South Florida to intern at 4KIDS while completing her Bachelor's in Social Work. She first met Tex when they were both working a shift at SafePlace, an emergency intake center for kids coming to foster care. Courtney then went on to serve as a house parent for one of our 4KIDS Specialized Foster Homes for two years, and the two tied the knot in December 2019.

Now married and with a precious baby boy of their own, this year they decided to open up their home to fostering. Both currently working in the world of child welfare, every day they meet so many kids in need of safe, loving homes, and wanted to be able to offer that type of refuge for children in need.

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The same day that they recieved their foster care license, they were called upon to take in two brothers, ages 5 and 7, into their home. "There are kids in our own city who are being neglected. We knew that there was a problem and that we could offer a solution, so that's what we did," shared Tex. Since being in their home, the boys have been able to enjoy everything from the simplicity of a homecooked meal around the family dinner table to spending an entire day celebrating their birthdays.

Making a difference in the lives of kids in foster care isn't just a calling that Tex and Courtney feel they have on their life. For them, it's almost embedded into the DNA of who they are. They have served in so many different capacities at 4KIDS over the years, but now that they get to play a role together as foster parents, we couldn't be more excited for what's to come.

The two brothers on their way to beat the heat with the Guigard's at their community pool!

Tex, Courtney, and their son Eli

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defen der s p ot l i g h t "I became a Defender because the I saw the impact donations made to our foster families while I was serving as a 4KIDS Child and Youth Worker.

The way a child’s face lights up when they receive a birthday gift, or how relieved a foster parent is when they receive a grocery gift card, it made me want to start giving!

- Tashane Bruna, 4KIDS Defender

o th er ways t o ge t invo lv e d champions 4kids

young advocates 4kids

Get together with other Christian business executives monthly to collaborate on different 4KIDS initiatives!

Meetings occur in Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast.

For more information, contact Joel at JoelC@4KIDS.us.

This group is made up of young professionals and college students that host fundraisers, organize service projects, and put on social events to benefit 4KIDS. To learn more about YA4K, reach out to Katelynn at KatelynnV@4KIDS.us.

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The Walker Siblings

EPIC Training & resources

vision tours

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/EPIC/Training.

There’s also an array of parenting videos, blogs, and tip sheets created by our 4KIDS Clinical Team available at 4KIDS.us/EPIC/ParentResources.

Experience a walk-through of our main headquarters, hear stories of transformed lives, and learn all about what makes 4KIDS unique. Tours are held virtually twice a month, and in-person once a quarter. To sign up for the next one, visit 4KIDS.us/VisionTour.

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2717 West Cyp ress Creek Road For t Lauderdale, FL 33309