for abused and neglected children and teens in Southwest Florida
(July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024)
Because of your support, we can continue to serve as the only place in Collier County that provides emergency and residential shelter for kids and teens facing abuse, neglect, and homelessness.
With homelessness, abuse, neglect, mental health and addiction issues on the rise, our beds are often full. Our five cottages are home to children and teens who need a safe, stable environment where they can heal. This requires not just days and weeks, but often months. On average, these young people are in our care for 9 months. Our generous donors support a unique model that provides much more than basic necessities to survive; Youth Haven provides children and teens with the love and support they need to thrive. From traditional therapies, to educational and vocational programs, to life skills classes, Youth Haven provides the services these young people need to regain their childhood and begin the path to a better life.
Meet KASEY
A home to begin again.
For 12-year-old Kasey, Youth Haven provided the stable, safe home he needed when he and his siblings were removed from their parents’ home. His younger siblings were placed in a foster home and Kasey was brought to Youth Haven. At Christmas, he learned the devastating news that his parents had given up their parental rights. Thankfully, he was in the best place possible to receive muchneeded counseling to address the pain of a childhood filled with abuse, neglect, food insecurity, and the emotional scars of losing his family.
"The counselors and staff make me feel valued and are helping prepare me for foster care or a new forever family."
— Kasey
While in our care, Kasey has benefited from developing healthy routines, customized counseling, and getting a chance to simply be a kid again. We are immensly proud of this young man for his dedication to his school work and his own personal growth. Without having a home at Youth Haven to begin again, Kasey may have had nowhere safe to land.
The average child stays for 9 months until a suitable permanent placement is found.
& TEENS
15,000 nights in a warm bed
Kasey and Ms. Erica review a school assignment in the Youth Haven library.
HOPE
JOHANE'S Story
Choosing hope and seeking help.
As the oldest daughter in her family, 16-year-old Johane often cared for her five younger siblings. Her single mother had difficulty providing for the family and struggled to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Johane recalls the day she couldn’t take it anymore. “It was always hectic. I had to put others first. There simply was no time for me. When I told a school counselor that my life had gotten so bad that I didn’t want to live anymore, she listened. And then she told me about Youth Haven.”
Along with six other Rob’s Cottage residents, Johane proudly graduated high school in May. With support from everyone at Youth Haven, she was thrilled to earn a full scholarship to Florida International University, with classes starting this summer.
When Johane chose to come to Youth Haven, she chose hope.
Seeking hope and help for a life free from abuse, neglect, and trauma.
With strong support from the community and our donors, we are able to provide structure and support they desperately need. They attend school, receive tutoring and life skills training to develop healthy habits and friendships. We also customize experiences that prepare each child or teen to be reunited with family or to transition to foster care or adoption.
Homeless teens and young adults, 16-20 years old, may choose to live at Rob's Cottage, a residence and Homeless Teen Transitional Living Program, the only one of its kind in Collier County. Rob’s Cottage provides a safe and caring environment 24-hours a day, as well as case management services, educational support, nutritious meals, medical and mental health services, career readiness, preparation for higher education, and stronger community connections. In short, Rob's Cottage strives to ensure that homeless teens don't become homeless adults.
THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR AT YOUTH HAVEN:
5 out of 6
graduating seniors enrolled in college or trade school
500+ hours of tutoring resulted in improved grades and academic achievements
Johane smiles bright during a recent shopping trip with Youth Haven staff to prepare for attending college at FIU.
HEALING
Beyond home and hope we remain committed to providing the highest level of trauma-informed, research-supported care and therapy to help our children and teens truly heal.
Every child and teen housed at Youth Haven is now receiving an extensive baseline assessment. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) assessment provides guidance on the types of therapies and services needed to reduce current and long-term effects of mental and physical trauma.
“We are seeing an unprecedented number of children and teens coming from toxic situations of abuse and neglect, suffering with significant mental and physical health challenges.”
— Kelly Starke, MS Vice President of Programming
These children and teens require a combination of traditional and holistic therapies which are available through Youth Haven’s comprehensive programs. Jama Thurman, MA, LMHC, Therapist, is now providing quarterly functional assessments for all residents to identify issues and concerns, such as depression, anxiety and behavioral problems.
“I try to make therapy fun and engaging,” said Jama. “With donor support, we purchased a supply of games and toys that help children and teens relax, develop coping skills, and talk through their issues during our therapy sessions and assessments."
Progress toward healing also involves therapies such as animal-assisted programs, yoga, improv, art, music, as well as healthy meals, and enrichment activities, including holiday celebrations, fun excursions to local events and even out-of-town trips. These all help bring normalcy to children’s lives.
The entire Youth Haven team is trained for their roles as advocates for children and teens. Along with professionally trained counselors, they play a critical part in the healing process, building trust and meeting the emotional and physical needs of every child.
Some forms of therapy are as simple as engaging in low-stress activities with staff while talking about the highs and lows of their day.
100% of residents completed an ACEs assessment to help create customized therapy plans
MEASURING TRAUMA USING ACES
Every child and teen at Youth Haven receives extensive assessment to develop customized care and treatment. One form of assessment is measuring the degree of emotional and physical trauma a child has endured using Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
THE 10 ACEs WE SCREEN FOR AT YOUTH HAVEN
THE IMPACT OF ACES
As the number of ACEs increase, so does the risk for negative health outcomes. ACEs can have lasting effects on health and well-being in childhood and life opportunities well into adulthood.
If toxic childhood stress is not reduced through therapy and treatment, then youth with four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have an increased risk of the following:
*CDC/Kaiser Permanente survey of 17,000 adults
**Youth Haven ACEs assessment results October 2023 through May 2024
During the 2023-24 fiscal year, the average child or teen came to Youth Haven with 6.95 ACEs out of 10.
