Defender Newsletter - Issue 34

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DEFENDER Issue 34 | May 2022

Stories made possible by your impact inside!

SCAN here to watch a testimonial in honor of National Foster Care Month

f r om the p r e s id e n t It’s an exciting season around 4KIDS! This year, we are celebrating 25 years of bringing hope, homes, and healing to our community’s kids.

Since 1997, more than 30,000 children, teens, and young adults have been positively impacted by the work that we do. Through the decades, our mission and vision has transcended from simply finding loving foster homes for children in need to now offering holistic support and services for all types of families, whether they are a biological, foster, or adoptive family. From prevention to restoration, 4KIDS' model has completely transformed the landscape of foster care not just in Broward County, but Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast as well.

Our latest expansion effort into Southwest Florida also shows our determination to continue this legacy of transforming lives! Last year in the Naples/Fort Myers area, 73 children were sent to another part of the state because there were not enough foster homes in Southwest Florida, and 134 children were living in a shelter instead of with a loving foster family. May is recognized as National Foster Care Month, and right now, we are committed to finding a loving foster home for every child in crisis, and supporting them with our 4KIDS EPIC Therapeutic Approach. It’s your faithful giving each month that extends our reach like this!

As you turn the pages of this newsletter, I hope you will feel encouraged by updates from each of our programs. Behind every statistic and every number is the life of a real child or young adult, and it is my prayer that you will walk away knowing the stories of just a few kids and families that your generosity has positively impacted, for generations to come.

Until Every Child Has a Home,

Kevin Enders, 4KIDS President & CEO 3

in this issue...

A letter From The president A message from 4KIDS President and CEO, Kevin Enders, in honor of National Foster Care Month.

The Kaplan Family Gabe and Lisa are changing the trajectory of two children's lives and loving them everyday.

a Milestone for Myron A 4KIDS Independent Living resident gradutes onto a new job with help from his 4KIDS mentors.

the mims family The story of one 4KIDS Foster Family who said yes!

celebrating careportal 1,000 children have been served through our partnership with CarePortal and over 70 churches.

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T he Kap la n Fa m i ly The Kaplan Family has been fostering a 7-yearold brother and a 2-year-old sister for over a year.

They came into care being non-communicative, both diagnosed by a pediatrician as being overweight and malnourished, highly traumatized, physically aggressive and extremely sad.

After just 5 months, there was great transformation in them through the love and commitment the Kaplan’s have shown these children.

Now, these siblings are eating nourishing foods, taking swimming lessons, participating in speech therapy, attending Sunday school and excelling in karate classes! Foster parents Gabe and Lisa have surrounded these precious children with an outpouring of unconditional love, consistency, structure and stability. Gabe and Lisa want to encourage other parents that, “Finding patience, never giving up, advocating for the needs of your children, and approaching every moment with love at the forefront of your minds" produces a lasting impact in the lives of children.

Two 4KIDS Adoptive Families enjoying the beautiful day!

F os te r a nd Ad o p t iv e Fa m i ly P ic n ic s With Springtime comes warmer weather, blooming flowers, and three really special events at 4KIDS. Across three regions, 4KIDS Foster and Adoptive Families came together for a 4KIDS Family Picnic and enjoyed beautiful day of games, food, and a time to connect with other families with the same passion for kids in need.

With one Picnic in March and two more in April, over 150 4KIDS Foster and Adoptive Families in Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast gathered in parks for a day full of fun. In both Broward and Palm Beach, SAINTS Sports Ministry came stocked with hula hoops, relay races, obstacle courses, and lots of games for children of all ages to play. All of the picnics featured professional face painters who designed butterflies and superheroes on many smiling young faces, a delicious BBQ lunch was served, and some children even got to ride on a pony for the first time!

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We feel so blessed to be able to create lasting memories like these for Foster and Adoptive Families to have fun and connect on a deeper level. Support is so important for parents of all kinds, and these 4KIDS Family Picnics provided the perfect backdrop for families to develop meaningful friendships.

A mil est one for M yro n Myron came to the United States during elementary school, and was living with extended family for many years, experiencing a difficult home life. Against many odds, he completed high school and came to 4KIDS Independent Living in search of a community that could help him achieve his goals. After a few months at 4KIDS Independent Living, Myron started volunteering with the 4KIDS Properties Team, Jim and Sedley. These men taught Myron not only the basics of maintenance and landscaping, but crucial life lessons as well, leading him towards his aspirations with integrity. In addition to his independent living home, Jim and Sedley became Myron’s mentors and additional members of his support system.

Throughout his volunteering with 4KIDS, Myron gained business connections and an outstanding reputation. Now, a year later, Myron has landed his first full-time job! This is the kind of incredible achievement we desire for every one of our 4KIDS Independent Living residents. Myron has built a strong foundation for a successful future through 4KIDS, and we are so excited to see where life brings him.

Myron with Sedley and Ken on his last day volunteering with 4KIDS

t he MIMs Fa m i ly All of our 4KIDS Foster Parents are remarkable in their sacrifice of time and the outpouring of love they give, but Christal and Reif in particular exemplify what it means to be strong advocates for children.

Their journey to become foster parents was born out of heavy-hearted experiences. Before meeting and getting married, both Christal and Reif lost their spouses. With children from each of their previous marriages, they are now a blended family. After hearing a message about foster care at their home church, Christal attended a Freedom Study, and in an emotional huddle with several women at the end of the study, Christal felt clear about her calling to become a foster mother. “I realized that any slight deviation could cause children [even mine several years ago] to be in any situation, and I needed to help.” Christal and Reif became licensed foster parents with 4KIDS in 2020 and ever since, their passion to make a difference for kids in foster care has only grown.

Christal and Reif cared for an 8-year-old little girl and her 3-month-old brother. They surrounded the children's biological parents with love as much as they could throughout the process, inviting them to church and always keeping the lines of communication open. Eventually, the little boy was placed with his aunt, while his older sister stayed a little longer with the Mims Family, and during this time this little girl grew in many ways, especially spiritually and emotionally.

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" G o d Doesn't C all the Q ual if ie d, H e Qu alif ies the cal l e d. " A phrase that Christal often clings to as she walks alongside kids who are dealing with the effects of trauma is that, “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” She and her family believe that it only takes one person to make a difference in a child’s life, and that after you say “yes,” the resources and equipping will follow.

Christal is also a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). As a GAL, she attends court hearings as an unbiased, unpaid third party who advocates for the child(ren) involved in the case. This role is completely voluntary, with the sole purpose of creating an outcome that is in the best interest of the child(ren). She visits with the kids, therapists, case managers, and school teachers in her free time to observe and report back to the judge on the case her recommendations for each child.

Through this experience, Christal is constantly faced with brokenness in the child welfare system, but also gets to be a light in the process.

The Mims Family is just one of nearly 1,300 families who since the start of 4KIDS twenty five years ago, have said yes to fostering and redefined the futures of countless children in need. Every day, families like the Mims push 4KIDS one step closer to the goal we so passionately believe in— hopes, homes, and healing for every kid in crisis.

Over the last 25 years, nearly 1,300 4KIDS Foster Families have redefined the futures of countless children in need.

The Mims Family

Car epor tal 1,000! That’s the number of kids that have been served through CarePortal.

1,000 kids that could have ended up in crisis, but instead had their needs met and were able to stay with their biological families thanks to this partnership between 4KIDS, CarePortal, and local churches.

Since launching in South Florida in December 2020, this preventative outreach has allowed 4KIDS to partner with over 70 local churches to strengthen families in need. Because poverty is so often one of the reasons families come into contact with the child welfare system, CarePortal aims to meet these tangible needs before this happens.

When a request comes through CarePortal’s online platform, local churches are notified of the need and can step in to raise money, provide furniture, cribs, and other basic necessities for families. In the six counties we currently serve, since July there has already been an economic impact of over $400,000 through the generosity of 4KIDS’ CarePortal church partners!

As we celebrate 1,000 kids being served through CarePortal, we can’t wait to press on and reach thousands of more families in need. We know that through this simple act of meeting tangible needs, an intangible number of lives are being transformed.

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mor e ways t o g e t i n vo lve d GIft planning 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/WillsandTrusts

EPIC 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/EPIC/ Training. We also have various parenting videos, blogs, and tip sheets created by our 4KIDS Clinical Team available at: 4KIDS.us/EPIC/ParentResources

champions 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

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 once a month, both virtually and inperson at each of our regional offices. To sign up for the next one, visit: 4KIDS.us/VisionTour

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2717 West Cypres s Creek Road For t La uderdale, FL 33309