CHS Blog
One happy 13-year-old girl says she feels like she won the lottery. But she did not. Natalia won something more valuable than that. She now has a new big sister, a new mom and dad, and the adoption went down on Zoom in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. “It was a feeling of this is where […]
Children’s Home Society of Florida has a program called Project 18 Mentoring, where they match teenagers in foster care with an adult in the community who can help provide guidance and encouragement. Amarni Campbell said his mentor has now become a father figure, someone he knows he can rely on, and he wishes more kids […]
When the COVID-19 crisis catapulted Florida students into distance learning overnight, it led to an early start to the traditional summer slide. But now, a group in Florida is working to close that gap with an online reading series with a new online library and some local celebrities helping kids get back in […]
Student Spotlight: 7-year-old Joey had one goal this summer: read a book and complete an activity packet so he wouldn’t fall behind … he wanted to be “top of his class!” when school started again. He didn’t just meet this goal – he crushed it! With a focus on expanded learning, Manatee Elementary, A Community […]
The coronavirus pandemic created new challenges for families adopting children from foster care this year with courthouse closures, disrupted schedules and a shift from in-person to virtual adoption ceremonies. Despite these hurdles, 157 children in Central Florida were welcomed into their forever families through adoption this year with CHS — exceeding the adoption team’s goal. Families […]
“Hi, my name is Amarni and I’m from Jamaica. I came here when I was 10. I got taken away from my mom a month later and went through the foster care system for eight years. At the end — when I was 17 turning 18 — I met my mentor. He is the coolest […]
Frankie and his family are survivors of domestic violence. As the Coronavirus spread across Frankie’s local community, he noticed many people were experiencing anxiety – something he has been coping with since his abuse. He told his counselor with the Children’s Home Society of Florida he wanted to help others understand and overcome their anxiety […]
Struggling students often find themselves falling further behind their peers in the summer, a phenomenon educators call the “summer slide.” Now they’re worried it will be exacerbated by a “COVID slide,” after children were sent home from schools months early. To keep students at Howard Bishop Middle School from falling further behind than they ordinarily […]
In January, mom was promoted to Assistant Manager. She was so excited, she called me to share the good news. In March, mom was laid off due to COVID-19. It was heartbreaking. A single mom with three children, she was struggling to put food on the table. Our Community Partnership School team at Howard Bishop […]
Jacksonville, Fla. (July 6, 2020) — Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS), the state’s largest provider of services to children and families, has named Ernest Hamilton its new regional executive director serving Greater Northeast Florida. Overseeing the First Coast, Gainesville and down through Volusia County, Hamilton will lead operations and business development, focusing on CHS’ […]
“CHS helped to open my mind and helped me when considering what I should do [with my future] and what I can do to impact the people around me.” For Joshua, who was homeschooled until his freshman year, attending Edward H. White Academy of Leadership, A Community Partnership School was a bit of a “culture […]
“Every child should have the same resources, opportunities and privileges to be what they want to be. Your background, race, economic status and the neighborhood you grew up in does not make you any greater or less – every child can succeed despite the barriers in their way.” Rebecca Boreland, an ambitious nursing student, credits […]
“I am especially grateful for being funded by CHS because I am adopted and I felt really moved knowing there is an entire organization devoted to helping children who come from a similar background like me. It makes me feel supported and loved knowing there are other people who are able to get help because […]
A message from Andry: The horrific, tragic death of George Floyd again exposed the reality of the inequities faced by Black men, women and children in America. Systemic racism is prevalent in our society, and events happening today underscore the re-traumatization that occurs in the Black community whenever another father, mother, husband, wife, son, or daughter […]
“My connection with the Student Leadership Council and the Hub at Evans has reminded me that I have people behind me, who support me – we all have a similar goals for what we imagine for our community. It gave me confidence knowing that it is not just me that wants to improve the community, […]
