Julianna is an intelligent teenager who is described as a "girly girl" who loves fashion and clothes. She also enjoys music and movies, and prefers to be indoors rather than outdoors. Read more about Julianna HERE
We have a few new additions to the Heartland for Children family! Be on the lookout for one of the "Heartland for Children" cars when you're out and about in Polk, Highlands, or Hardee Counties. Snap a photo and tag it! #HeartlandCar
Heartland for Children coordinates the Annual Rudolph Round-Up Holiday Toy Drive to benefit local children who have experienced abuse and neglect and are receiving services through the foster care system. Last year 1,410 children and teens were able to be served through generous donations from our local community. Our goal for the 2016 12th Annual Rudolph Round-Up Holiday Toy Drive is to help to ensure that at least 1400 local children who have experienced abuse and neglect have holiday gifts and joyful celebrations. Our greatest need each year is for child wish list and toy drive donors for children ages birth to two and teens, ages 13 to 17. It is through the continued and valued support of individuals, groups, organizations, faith communities and businesses - Rudolph Champions - that the children’s holiday wishes come true!
We need your help! We are looking for Rudolph Champions, who will commit to making a difference in the life of a child this holiday season. Find out how HERE
Members of the Heartland team, along with DCF, CLS & Neighbor to Family, received the “System Shaper” award at the DCF Dependency Summit. This was in recognition of the work that has been done through the Shelter Work group, a multidisciplinary team that works together to seek alternatives for removing children & provides recommendations to case management.
FOSTER CARE LICENSING CORNER
New Foster Parent training classes are always being offered and we are pleased to announce that we will be offering a new Saturday accelerated Foster Parent Preservice class in early 2017! Interested parties should contact 863-519-8900 ext 289 to register for a class!
April Haught was promoted to the position of Foster Home Relicensing Program Manager and Wendy Cheney now leads our initial training and licensing team as the Initial Licensing Program Manager
CASE MANAGER'S CORNER
BY: BILL NUNNALLY
Thank you to all of these awesome representatives from their agencies and to everyone who’s out there every day doing amazing work.
- One Hope United - Kelly Valk: Clinical Engagement Specialist at Neighbor to Family
- LaShandra Thomas West: Family Care Manager at Neighbor to Family - Lauren Wolf: Family Care Manager at Neighbor to Family
- Kathy Sangster- Senior Case Manager, Gulf Coast Unit 35.
- Katherine Galvis, Certified Case Manager, Devereux
- Kristina Goderich, Children’s Home Society
- Vereuch Simmons, Children’s Home Society
ADDRESSING THE URGENT NEED FOR FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE HOMES
The availability of quality foster and adoptive homes is an ever present challenge within child welfare. Historically, homes for teens and large sibling groups are even more difficult to recruit. There is an added challenge, currently, in that the number of new foster homes being licensed is outpaced by the numbers of children being removed from their homes. Removals are at a ten year high within Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. Heartland for Children is committed to innovation in the approaches used to recruit and retain quality foster parents. Full articleHERE
CELEBRATING OUR BUSINESS / ORGANIZATION AND FAITH BASED COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
Throughout Hardee, Highlands, & Polk Counties we are fortunate to have local businesses/organizations & faith communities that believe in engaging in activities to support & strengthen children & families.
Through connecting with Heartland for Children’s business and faith-based initiatives, some ways they are able to assist are: raising awareness about the importance of promoting healthy child development, child abuse and neglect prevention awareness, recruitment and support of quality foster homes and the need for forever homes for children waiting to be adopted.
Heartland for Children is grateful for the many partnerships that we are fortunate to have throughout our local communities that support safe, healthy childhood, strong families and communities.
It is our pleasure to recognize the following business/organization and faith based partners for their support and engagement in initiatives that ensure the safety, permanency and well being of children. Congratulations on being Community Champions. Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bartow, First Baptist Church of Lake Placid, Chick-fil-A of Winter Haven, Bob and Trish Pfeiffer. See full article HERE
