CHS Blog
Sometimes it’s the statistics that drive me, the numbers I can’t seem to shake. For instance, did you know that one out of every seven children struggle with a developmental delay? Yet only 15% of those one in seven receive early intervention services. It’s heartbreaking to think that families in our community may not know […]
Barbara Hayes loves seeing the changes in her young health ambassadors. An example was a young girl named Faith, who rarely spoke to anyone but was always listening and attentive. She finally came out of her shell during a family night event at C.A. Weis Elementary School. “We got really busy doing vital signs and Faith all of a […]
With back-to-school time just a few days away, the Tallahassee area was the scene of many events to help students get ready the weekend before the start of classes. The largest of these was the “Jumpstart 2 Success” happening at Lively Technical College Saturday morning. There were dozens of booths and exhibits, all offering free […]
Sabal Palm Elementary, A Community Partnership School has joined the elite ranks of UCF-Certified Community Partnership Schools. Earning the title of UCF-Certified Community Partnership confirms Sabal Palm Elementary’s intentional, dedicated collaboration to align necessary resources to advance student success and well-being. The school successfully satisfied 12 rigorous standards and specific indicators to secure UCF-certification status […]
[ext-video type=”youtube” url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stWed3z-xKw”] VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Allison Merritt and her husband Clay Merritt have two grown children, so for the last decade, they have been welcoming foster children into their Palm Coast home. “Try to provide them some normalcy, a family atmosphere and stuff like that,” Clay Merritt said. Right now, the couple is […]
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Two children, aged 14 and 12, walk away from a youth group home, head down the street and almost immediately, there is trouble. This is the incident that is changing everything. The 14-year-old female is Nicole Jackson. She is well-known to law enforcement in Flagler and Volusia counties for petty crimes, […]
MIDDLEBURG – The challenge was daunting for officials at Wilkinson Junior High and the Children’s Home Society of Florida, but nothing as daunting as the challenges too many families in the Middleburg and Clay Hill areas face. Together, they committed to working tirelessly for two years to show how the school would benefit from being […]
The Escambia County School District’s navigator program has proven to be so successful that Superintendent Tim Smith believes the district will try to keep a scaled-down version of the program going, even after the federal funding that pays for it runs out. This past school year, 32 “navigators” from the Children’s Home Society were placed […]
The Childen’s Home Society of Florida has launched a teddy bear drive to help its young clients. The campaign hopes to collect a total of 500 stuffed animals during the month of June. The Society’s Vice President of Government Relations Summer Pfieffer said a cuddly toy can be a crucial part of the process of […]
At the height of the pandemic, it was obvious to mental health professionals who specialize in working with Escambia County children that social strains from COVID-19 were taking a toll on their patients. But local licensed professional counselors and clinical social workers didn’t come to understand the full weight of the situation until the kids returned […]
National Foster Care Appreciation Month in May shines an important light on families and professionals helping children and youth in foster care find safety, stability and success. Although foster families are needed for children of all ages, teenagers are especially in need of homes. Natalie Monzon, public relations specialist for the Children’s Home Society of […]
Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) has appointed Jane Adams to its statewide Board of Directors. Adams is the former Vice President of University Relations for the University of Florida, where she was responsible for government relations, public relations, marketing and external relations at the national, state and local levels. She retired from the university […]
Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) has appointed Alex Ralicki to its statewide Board of Directors empowering children and their families to find – and pursue – opportunities for success and happiness throughout Florida. Ralicki is a Wealth Manager and Accountant for Ralicki Wealth Management & Trust. After 7 years serving on CHS’ local advisory […]
Children’s Home Society of Florida’s annual Soundside Splendor fundraiser returned to the Portofino Island Resort on Pensacola Beach on Sunday to raise a record $350,000 for children and families throughout Pensacola and the Panhandle. More than 400 community members and child advocates joined Honorary Event Chairs Jim and Ann Neal to help raise funds and awareness for […]
In the months leading up to the 2020 election, hotelier and philanthropist Julian MacQueen, usually a booster for this Florida Panhandle beach destination, found himself making an unusual pitch to the other business leaders of Pensacola. Escambia County, he told them, was failing its children. In all sorts of metrics of well-being, from abuse and […]
