CHS Blog
It is officially hurricane season! It is extremely important to stay prepared and informed during this time of year. Our Children’s Home Society of Florida Hurricane Preparedness webpage has key information available to you at all times. Below you will find some key reminders for you and your family. Identify important contacts and keep them […]
Now Streaming from the Florida Institute of Child Welfare Children’s Home Society of Florida’s (CHS) Morgan Ryan and Brianna Kobayashi talk with Dr. Jessica Pryce about CaseAIM, CHS’ revolutionary technology changing the way child welfare works. Together, with our technology partner Stabilify, we are leading the way in case management innovation. https://soundcloud.com/user-667304189/s5-e1-theres-an-app-for-that-caseaim-technology
I didn’t know what an engineer was until I was in college. I knew what a nurse did, because my mom was a nurse. It wasn’t until college that I had access to the worlds beyond that of my home or the small town I grew up in. I’m not alone. Throughout Florida, thousands of […]
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 […]
When Escambia County families found themselves facing new financial burdens due by the pandemic, the school district responded by placing “navigators” in its public schools. The navigators have acted like social workers, providing or connecting students and parents to resources such as food, clothing, government assistance and health care. The navigators have had their work cut out for them. Between […]
“So what does the Community Partnership program do here at our school?” Bethany Groves, principal of Webster Elementary School, prompted a class of third-graders on Tuesday afternoon. “Gives us socks and shoes,” answered one boy. “We get food,” another student said. “Clothes,” one girl volunteered. Webster Elementary School and South Woods Elementary School have both […]
It’s not a top headline or the latest public outrage. It’s a quiet crisis, but one that affects not only the quality of life for kids who enter the foster care system, but also the economic outlook for the entire state. Florida’s child welfare system is understaffed and overwhelmed. Imagine if your local police or […]
Sad but true: Poverty is a reality far too many families face. Before children in poverty even step foot in a classroom, most are already playing catch-up. Too many begin kindergarten not ready for school and, by the time they reach fourth grade, 50% of those children will not be reading at grade level. Sadly, […]
Not far from bustling downtown Tampa and just west of University of South Florida, there is a transformative movement happening — one that is changing lives, strengthening families and rarely getting the attention it deserves. In Hillsborough, a county where 12 percent of the population lives in poverty, a startling 30.4 percent are at or […]
Different cultures believe the sunflower is a symbol of anything from positivity and strength to admiration and loyalty. Jennifer Stenger, a Case Manager with Children’s Home Society of Florida, recently shared how sunflowers became a symbol of connection, commitment and success in her work to serve children. “When I met Amie*, she would not speak […]
“With almost 50 years of of family history with CHS, we look fondly upon the organization,” Joy, a CHS volunteer, shares. Joy and Sydney Ashlock — a mother and daughter duo — have a special place in their hearts for volunteering with CHS. Joy’s long passion for CHS began after her brother’s adoption through CHS. […]
PENSACOLA, Fla. — The United States Council on Homelessness says over 1,000 people who are homeless in Florida are young adults ages 18-24 living without families. Click the image below to watch. The Pensacola chapter of the Children’s Home Society of Florida is working to change that One of their programs, M-Power, provides housing for […]
Caroline, a single mother of one, struggled to keep a job to support her family. Deep in financial stress, she felt helpless. An immense lack of support left her isolated, anxious and disconnected from her son. Caroline longed to find stability in a job, build her self-esteem and be able to provide for her son, […]
Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) has named Lauren Fuentes its new regional executive director serving Broward and Palm Beach counties as well as the Suncoast, Fort Myers area. In her new role, Fuentes will lead operations and business development, focusing on CHS’ core solutions in early childhood, behavioral health, child-welfare and community solutions including […]
The 2021 holiday season will be especially bright for the Edwards family as they spend it together as an official forever family. Michael Edwards adopted siblings Neveah and Jayden from foster care earlier this year. Like many children in foster care, Neveah and Jayden experienced heartbreak and uncertainty in their search for stability. They moved […]
