Defender Newsletter Issue 32

issue 32, Nove mbe r 2021

defender MAGAZINE

Stories made possible by your impact inside!

fr om t he pr e sid en t

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to thank you for your commitment to our

kids and families, and the integral role you play as a 4KIDS Monthly Defender. It's generous friends like you that make the stories in this Defender Newsletter possible.

A couple of weeks ago, a sibling group of 3 needed an emergency respite home

while a family member made arrangements to take them in. Together, all three of the children were welcomed into one of our 4KIDS Agency Foster Homes, Kids Place, and during their first night our house parents were able to love on them and help them process the difficult day they had experienced. After talking for a while, the 13-year old girl shared with our house parents that she was surprised they were so kind towards them, as she had heard foster parents were, "Mean and supposed to yell at you." Our house parents quickly explained to them that her and her siblings were worthy to be treated with compassion, love, and respect. It breaks our hearts to think they had expected anything different.

Every day, our foster parents, support workers, resident advisors and others

are breaking stereotypes like this across the child welfare system in our region. This is the "4KIDS difference" that we aim to spread throughout our community. Standing right beside them are faithful Defenders like you, whose financial and prayerful support is the foundation that allows us to redefine foster care in our community, one child at at time. We appreciate you!

Until Every Child Has a Home,

Kevin Enders, 4KIDS President 2

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in this issue... a story about overcoming Nikki's story of resilience, strength, and the supportive community she found at 4KIDS Independent Living.

equipping the community Highlights from 4KIDS Children and Youth Leader Brunch.

little moments with a lifelong impact Celebrate big and small wins across our 4KIDS Foster Homes from this past quarter.

other ways to get involved Information about Giving Tuesday, Champions 4KIDS, EPIC Trainings, and Vision Tours.

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"Being a part of 4KIDS Independent Living, I've learned that I don’t need to entertain toxic relationships. They've also helped me realize how strong, independent, and capable I am to do anything I set my mind to."

- NIKKI, INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENT

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A sto ry a b o u t ov e r c o m in g Nikki has an “overcomer’s story.”

Growing up, Nikki watched as her parents struggled with domestic violence, financial instability, and addiction. She endured constant physical and verbal abuse, especially from her father. When her grades began to drop in middle school, she shared with her school resource officer about what was happening at home, and was eventually placed in foster care.

She spent time at 4KIDS Agency Foster Home, Mercy Place, before being reunified with her father in high school. But the volatility between her and her father continued, and in the end, Nikki wanted to be as far away from her parents as possible.

She moved in with her boyfriend and found herself pregnant at age 17. At that point, she decided to come to 4KIDS His Caring Place (HCP), which Nikki describes as the place where she, “Learned to be a better woman.”

The HCP Team introduced her to what healthy relationships, support, and a loving family could look like.

Nikki and her two kiddos!

After her daughter was born, Nikki hoped to make things work with her baby’s father. Unfortunately, throughout the next two years their relationship became so unsafe that Nikki had to make the difficult decision to allow her daughter (and now infant son) to be placed for adoption. She wanted to give them the stability she herself had always longed for as a child.

Nikki has now been part of 4KIDS Independent Living (SOSI) since the beginning of 2021, and has been working incredibly hard to build a new life for herself. She is currently employed full-time in the restaurant industry, and is up for a management position. She is intentional in receiving feedback from the resident advisors and other residents in her SOSI home.

She maintains a great relationship with her children’s 4KIDS Adoptive Family, and one of her future goals is to become a mentor for teen girls who are in the DJJ system. We are so proud of Nikki and how much she has grown this year!

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e q uip p ing th e c o mm unit y Last month, more than 70 individuals came together at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale for 4KIDS Children and Youth Leader (CYL) Brunch! The goal for this gathering was to equip and empower those that are investing in the next generation with trauma-informed care and tools to best reach Generation Z. With special presentations from OneHope and 4KIDS Clinical Team, attendees were able to receive a "crash course" in how to work with children displaying difficut behaviors, and discover current trends and research on the next generation's opinions on family, media, spirituality, and more.

For many years now, the heart of 4KIDS has been to become a resource for other ministries and organizations worldwide, and to be able to give back to

those who serve the same vulnerable populations that we do. That's why we were so thrilled at the overwhelming response of individuals who wanted to attend this training and be part of our CYL Brunch!

"It was amazing to see so many of our local children's pastors and youth group volunteers come with desire to grow as leaders and want 'breakthrough' in their relationships with kids," shared Daniella Olea, 4KIDS Church Engagement Team Coordinator.

Attendees walked away with ideas on how to help the kids in their Sunday school classrooms, aftercare programs, and small groups cope with stress, overcome anxiety, work through transitions and feel connected to their leaders.

As a follow-up to the content that was shared at this event, 4KIDS is hosting a new, 3-hour virtual training in January that gives a high-level introduction to trauma-informed care. If you are interested in participating, please visit: 4KIDS.us/EPIC/TraumaTraining

More than two dozen churches and organizations were represented at this year's CYL Brunch

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Attendees from First Priority and Riverside Church

"The fact that churches and faith-based organizations all across South Florida were invited to attend was incredible. Excellent presentations were done by both 4KIDS and One Hope, with revival being called for those serving the most marginalized in our communities. It was a powerful event!"

- CYL Brunch Attendee Attendees from Coastal Community Church

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l it t le mom e n ts w ith a lif e lo n g i m pac t

fall memories

new big brother

This little one got to pick out her first pumpkin this year to celebrate the autumn season. Selah was placed in her 4KIDS Foster and Adoptive Family's home when she was just two days old, and she recently celebrated her second birthday! Selah has grown leaps and bounds since that first ride home from the hospital and is now thriving in her forever family's care.

A five-year-old boy was placed in foster care with his newborn sister, and a 4KIDS Foster Family said "yes" to them both! This little boy has really enjoyed spending time with his older foster brother and sister who live in the home. They have taught him how to tie his shoes, brush his teeth properly, and so much more! He loves to care for the family guinea pig and follow his big brother and sister around everywhere they go.

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four sisters stay connected

a sweet reunion

Four sisters came into foster care and needed a place to stay for one week while law enforcement made contact with a family member who could take them in.

Three different 4KIDS Foster Families in Palm Beach stepped up to take the girls and each night of their stay they organized a Facetime call for the sisters to be able to stay connected. The foster parents also orchestrated a trampoline park visit for all the sisters over the weekend and once they were all placed with their relative, remained in contact!

Two twin baby boys, who were placed with one of our 4KIDS Foster Families for over a year, were recently reunified with their biological father! Throughout their time in foster care, the foster parents would invite the boys' dad over to their home to visit with the babies and bond with them. The foster parent developed a beautiful friendship with this dad and desire to remain a part of his support system as he raises his boys.

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de f end er s pot l i g ht "I love how through the years, 4KIDS continues to find new ways to serve children. Certainly, the first and most important thing is to find loving, caring homes for kids in need. But now 4KIDS also has CarePortal, and that shows how just much they are not satisfied with doing the same thing, but are always looking to make things better. That's also what drives my wife and I to give— to make things better for children."

- Terry Maguire, 4KIDS Defender

ot h er ways to g e t in vo lv ed giving tuesday

champions 4kids

On Tuesday, November 30, join us for a day of global giving! On this day, any gift given to 4KIDS will be DOUBLED up to $75,000, thanks to generous friends of 4KIDS. Make sure you're following us on your favorite social media platform (@4KIDS.us) so you can join in on all the Giving Tuesday fun and share our posts!

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.

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The Rockefeller 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 EPICHealing.org. There’s also various parenting videos, blogs, and tip sheets created by our 4KIDS Clinical Team available at 4KIDS.us/ EPIC/ParentResources.

During our 4KIDS Vision Tour, you'll hear stories of transformed lives, and discover how you can play a part. As of 2022, monthly tours will be offered both virtually and in-person at each of our regional offices. To sign up or see upcoming dates, visit 4KIDS.us/VisionTour. |

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