Every 45 seconds, a child is neglected or abused.

The Children’s Home Society is striving to turn those statistics around to create healthier and happier families.

Created in 1902, the organization, which once served as an orphanage, now caters to families all over Southwest Florida by providing much needed assistance.

At the start of December, the organization held a Cheers for Charity event which, according to event coordinator Mary Ensor, invited members of the community to come out and learn about the six programs the organization has to offer as well as the impact they have on Southwest Florida.

The programs focus on at-risk youth, but also help those living with disabilities, mental health and foster care families. According to executive director Julie Schneider, one of the programs even assists foster children between the ages of 18 and 23.

“People think the kids have to leave foster care at 18, but they don’t,” Schneider said, “They have the option to stay in care as long as they are invested in something like education, a trade or a job.”

Schneider said  many foster care children don’t get the chance to have everyday experiences, such as sleeping over at friends’ homes or getting their driver’s licenses. By y creating a program that focuses on independent living for foster children, the organization helps give youths those opportunities..

Those who contribute and want to stay are given assistance with finances and education to transition into adulthood, which can be a big help to a child who grew up with very little, she said.

The Children’s Home Society also has services such as the Community Mental Health program, which provides assistance to families in their homes during which  therapists can interact with families and help them learn different ways to tackle behavior and emotional issues.

The program also helps bring awareness to mental health issues by showing families those issues are real and can create a big impact on their everyday lives.

Despite the work and money it takes to run the programs to help these families, Schneider says it’s worth it.

“We don’t do the bare minimum in our programs. We aren’t handing out money to clients and we aren’t bailing out families,” Schneider said. “But if we can help a family, we do it because we are trying to break the cycle.”

The Children’s Home Society can’t offer these programs  without the support of members of the community, who donated during the Cheers for Charity event, where the organization raised more than $15,000 to help fund its programs.

“We have tremendous community support and it feels great,” Schneider said. “To mention how many people help us is impossible, but it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do without them.”

Posted by: Naples Daily News