Defender Newsletter- Issue 26

DEFENDER Issue 26

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TABLE OF CONTENTS From The President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Reflecting Back On National Foster Care Month More Ways to Get Involved . . . . . . . . 5 Monthly Initiatives and Featured Summer Event Here to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Meghan's Second Family Beauty In Co-Parenting. . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 First-time Foster Parents and Their Story of Reunification Forever Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grayden's Story

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Dedicated Defenders . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Starr & Oksana Horton

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FROM THE PRESIDENT Reflecting Back on National Foster Care Month In light of this global health crisis, I have seen more people unite on behalf of our community's kids.

Between the start of “safer-at-home” guidelines and the re-opening of South Florida, 4KIDS placed 40 kids who were coming into foster care for the first time into loving foster families across six counties. In April alone, we placed twice the amount of kids that we had the month prior. While everything was shutting down, 4KIDS families continued to do what they always do— open their hearts and homes to vulnerable children.

During these times, I am so inspired that people are still standing in the gap for our

community’s kids. I think of 4KIDS foster parents like Angie and Jeff, who during quarantine took in two little sisters that have been in and out of the foster care system for the majority of their lives.

I think of one dedicated FAM volunteer, Samantha, who amidst social distancing, continues to drop off a meal every week to Angie and

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Jeff, the 4KIDS foster family she serves.

And people like you, who have not stopped faithfully giving towards hope, homes, and healing for every child, teen, and young adult in 4KIDS care.

Behind the scenes, you are the heroes that support every aspect of what we do. As you turn the pages of this Defender Newsletter, we hope you are deeply moved by a few stories that have come out of National Foster Care Month, and been made possible by you.

Until Every Child Has a Home,

Kevin Enders, 4KIDS President

"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:25

MORE WAYS TO G E T I N VO LV E D

Champions 4KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Get together with other Christian EPIC Training Now Offered Virtually. business executives monthly to collaborate on different 4KIDS initiatives! Meetings Discover tools to help you work with kids who occur in Broward, Palm Beach, and the have experienced trauma. This free and Treasure Coast. For more details, contact informative training occurs online over two days. For upcoming dates, visit 4KIDS.us/EPIC/ Joel at JoelC@4KIDS.us.

Training.

Back to School Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From June 10- July 10, 4KIDS will be collecting backpacks filled with school supplies to benefit 4KIDS foster and adoptive families.

This is a great way for individuals, churches, businesses and others to come together and make the back-to-school season a little easier on families. Be on the lookout for a list of preferred school supplies and more details at 4KIDS.us/BackToSchool.

Young Advocates 4KIDS. . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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Here to Stay How A Foster Family's Decision to Help Other Families With Respite Led To A Life-Changing Move For One Little Girl Angie and her family met 10-year-old Meghan* a year ago when her single foster mother was in need of a respite. Meghan lived just a couple minutes up the road and needed a place to stay for two weeks. Little did they know, Meghan was destined to “stay” much longer.

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The two weeks flew by, and in the months that followed the family maintained a relationship with Meghan. On weekends, they would scoop her up for church, birthday parties, and fun outings. One day, Meghan’s foster mother shared with them that Meghan was in need of a pre-adoptive home.

From her point of view, they already seemed like a second family to Meghan.

In just a month and half, Meghan’s grades went from D’s and F’s to A’s and B’s!

“We hadn’t expected our fostering journey to lead to a potential adoption so soon. As we considered it, my husband had us list reasons why we couldn’t take her, and we honestly couldn’t think of a single reason to say no.

She was already such a huge part of our lives,” shared Angie.

In the coming days, Meghan is looking forward to making her room her own, with pastel- colored walls and unicorn decorations throughout. She is also excited about having a 13-year-old big sister.

While everyone quarantined, Meghan moved into their home.

As schools moved to distance learning, Angie would spend 4 to 5 hours a day keeping Meghan engaged with her studies. Prior to moving in, she had been struggling in school.

Seeing her potential, Angie advocated for her to not be held back and found her a great tutor.

“This is where I want home to be,” Meghan told Angie and Jonathan one night.

It’s clear that for her, family has nothing to do with blood, but everything to do with love and belonging. *Name was changed to protect the identity of the children 4KIDS serves.

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BEAUTY IN COPARENTING First-time Foster Parents and Their Story of Reunification Samuel and Cynthia began fostering about a year ago.

After years of infertility, they made the decision to open their home to kids in need of a safe and loving family. A month after they were licensed, they were asked to take in two siblings—a 2-year-old boy and a 9-month-old girl. When they came into the home, the children didn’t have much of a routine, and oftentimes the little boy had multiple tantrums a day. Yet little by little, the children started progressing.

“We were blessed to have the privilege of seeing the youngest child learn to walk and hit a major milestone in her life,” Cynthia shared.

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The children’s biological parents were mostly consistent with visiting them two times a week until COVID-19 hit. During quarantine, they continued visits by utilizing Zoom and from one day to the next, a judge approved their reunification.

Since then, the children’s biological mother has continued to maintain a relationship with the foster parents, texting photos and updates of the kids frequently. At one point, she even reached out for help with getting a sleeping routine down for the little boy. Cynthia and Samuel are thankful to have been able to see the kids twice since South Florida’s reopening.

“It’s worth the leap of faith because you get to see these kids grow up in your home and sometimes stay in touch even after they

leave. Goodbyes like this are not easy, but having our FAM volunteer team and attending the monthly support group has made a huge difference for us,” shared Cynthia.

Cynthia and Samuel are great examples of how foster parent can continue to co-parent with biological caregivers and extend love and support to not only the kids after they are reunified, but to their entire family.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”

- Matthew 25:40

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FOREVER FAMILY Grayden's Story

by Lindsay Curtis, 4KIDS Adoptive Parent

A little over six years ago, our family moved to South Florida from New Mexico. When we started attending Crossway Church, it instantly became home for us. We began considering fostering when our church shared the huge need for it in the community.

My husband Jason and I started the foster parent training classes through 4KIDS in January of 2017 and three months later we were licensed. A week after, we were asked to take in a 4-week-old baby boy that was in the NICU. We were told that he only needed to be with us for two weeks until he could be placed with a grandmother.

When we picked him up, he was underweight, anemic, and had infections due to neglect. Upon bringing him home, our other three children were so happy and excited. On the other hand, Grayden’s temperament was very flat and he did not show much emotion. The two weeks went by, and his grandmother was no longer in a position to take him. As the months progressed our love for him grew more and more every day. Grayden slowly transformed from an anxious baby into an adventurous toddler with a beaming smile.

Throughout our fostering journey, we were committed to supporting his biological parents however we could. I remember taking Grayden on long drives to his supervised visits and dropping his mom off at the bus stop afterwards.

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Unfortunately, as his parents went in and out of jail and struggled to complete their court-ordered tasks, visits eventually became less frequent and more sporadic. In the end, the courts decided to change his case plan goal to adoption.

On April 7, 2020, Grayden officially became ours exactly three years to the date of when he was first placed in our home. Even though there were so many unpredictable elements and frustrations throughout those years, we truly believe God was in all the details. Having Grayden as part of our family, it’s as if he was always meant to be here.

Dedicated Defenders

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Oksana and I have been monthly supporters of 4KIDS for

Starr & Oksana Horton

a few years now. We strongly considered becoming foster parents but for various reasons understood that taking on a child full-time was not a viable option for our family. Thus, we decided to do what we could, which was to become 4KIDS Defenders. While it may not have the same impact as becoming foster parents, it was something we knew we could do right away and was better than just standing on the sidelines.

I’ve heard it said that the future of a church is crawling around in its nursery on Sundays. That statement is true not only for churches, but for communities and nations across the globe. The way we as a community and a country regard our children dictates the future of our society.

How we treat children who are oftentimes helpless to defend themselves will mirror the way we treat all those in society who are vulnerable – including the elderly. 4KIDS sets the example of an organization that is committed to saving and helping kids who have no way of returning the favor. This kind of work breaks the cycle of poverty and abuse not just for one particular child, but for all the generations that will emanate from that child.

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The impact of 4KIDS both in a tangible way as well as in the spiritual realm cannot be overestimated and that, in the end, is for the ultimate good of society.

- Starr Horton

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