Overview

Background

On January 16, 2002, several of us took a trip to Green Isle, a residential facility for youth in Claremont, Florida. Afterwards we discussed the growing need for alternative housing for foster children. Without more residential facilities, the problem of foster child placement will worsen, eventually forcing placement agencies to lower the standards for individual foster homes to simply accommodate the growing number of children needing placement.

Our group felt that without the proper attention and resources dedicated to solving the foster home placement problem, children would be taken from one unacceptable home and placed in another offering questionable care when, in fact, these are the very children most in need of an enriched, nurturing environment. Further, we were concerned that without intervention, the abuses suffered by the foster children would repeat themselves in each new generation.

As important as it is to help each child reach his full potential and take his rightful place as a contributing adult in the community, it is also important to realize that ultimately turning out well adjusted members of society will impact the quality of life for all of us. We agreed to start a nonprofit agency in Hernando County with the stated purpose being to minister to the community in need, especially youth. We discussed the desirability of being a nonprofit agency to be more efficient and effective in accomplishing our mission. Later we formed a board and held a fund raiser to obtain operating funds.

Ultimate Vision

Having our nonprofit 501(c)3 classification from the IRS means, among other things, that any donations we receive can be claimed as a tax deduction by the donor. Our initials are TLC which also stands for Tender Loving Care. Our ultimate vision is to build a facility that could serve almost 2000 youth ages birth through eighteen.

The primary consideration has been to design a facility that would be financially feasible to build and operate and yet offer programs that would enrich the lives of children allowing each child to develop to his fullest potential. Children with a bad past could have a better present and a great future. It is increasingly difficult to maintain a high level of foster care let alone offer enrichment experiences while keeping costs down. We are all aware that we are living in a time of declining resources; we have to do more with less. Housing in a group foster care setting allows for maximizing resources and minimizing the possibility of additional trauma to children who are already hurting.

Group setting

We recognize the advantages of family style sleeping and eating as opposed to dormitories and dining halls so we plan to incorporate family style living at every opportunity. Some of the advantages of a group residential setting as opposed to individual foster families are:

Continuity within each foster family

Staff respite without the children being relocated

Staff assisting one another to maximize staff efficiency

Constant supervision to help eliminate abuse

Standardization of hiring and ongoing staff training

Facilities to house large sibling groups together

Facilities to house teen parents with their own children

On site counselors

Block scheduled medical apts. to maximize transportation efficiency

Clothing easily recycled

Food purchased in bulk - for distribution to individual "families"

Supervised recreational activities in greater variety and frequency

Residents’ files standardized with less chance for error

Residents professionally tracked

Trained administrative staff

Staff efforts coordinated

Volunteers fully utilized

Security tightly controlled

Plant maintenance and safety continually addressed

Housekeeping overseen and standards enforced

Private areas on site for supervised visits

The number of available beds in the community increased

Evaluations leading to improved program effectiveness

Local DCF workers could check many children all in one location

Hernando County and District 13

Now let’s take a closer look at Hernando Country. It is part of district 13 which also includes Lake, Marion, Citrus and Sumter Counties.

There are approximately 160,000 children in this district. These children represent almost 20% of the population (1 in 5). In Brooksville, the county seat, there are 3,220 households with a combined population of 7,263 people. The median income for a family is just over $31,000. That’s less than $600 a week per family. Maybe not so bad until you consider that some families make much more and some much less. Almost 17% of the families are living below the poverty line; 30% of the children are living blow the poverty line (or about one third).

What exactly is a poverty line? The official definition is this: The poverty line is the level of income below which one can not afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. Sooo if a family can not afford to live, the stress level raises. When the parents are stressed, sometimes the frustration manifests itself in abuse. At the very least not having the resources to live has to result in some needs not being met. This can mean neglect!

Just as wealthy parents may leave an inheritance to their children, so poor parents often pass on the inheritance of poverty. The negative effects of poverty tend to be continuous throughout generations.

Educators have long understood the importance of breaking generational poverty through education. How can a child benefit from education if he doesn’t have his basic needs met? Before we can educate a child, we must be sure he is in a safe, nurturing environment. We don’t expect children who are hungry to learn well and we shouldn’t expect children whose other basic needs are not being met to function well either.

Certainly not all children in the foster care program are from low income families. All children do have this in common though: they need to know they are in a safe place where they will be loved and cared for; then they can begin to trust the adults in their lives and aim toward their maximum potential. The Life Center would very much like to be a part of a solution that breaks generational poverty, raises the standard of living and the quality of life and offers a real hope to the next generation.

Abuse in foster homes

We have all read of incidences involving children in foster homes in Florida who were abused in the very homes into which they had been placed. According to Child Maltreatment in 2003 .5% of perpetrators of abuse were the foster parents themselves. This is unacceptable. As you probably know some of these children were later discovered to be dead or missing. Some of the missing children have never been found.

If .5% seems low to you, ask yourself how you would feel if a child you love were abused by a caretaker. Put in those terms, even one case is too many. We need to find a better solution to the problem of providing care for hurting children. Our board has developed a business plan describing a group home that will provide honest, affordable, and reliable services for foster children.

Start up

We plan to start small. The Life Center plans to start with one "family" unit of 5-8 residents and their house parents. We believe in accountability at all levels. Our volunteer board will continue to monitor all aspects of The Life Center to help ensure the finest possible care for the children. At this early stage of operations; educational, medical and spiritual needs will be met by existing services in the community.

The Life Center has the ultimate authority to use contributions made to us at our discretion for purposes consistent with our exempt purposes.

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Scriptural Authority: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1	The Life Center \| home Vision and Mission \| Overview \| TLC Newsletter \| Inquiries \| Prayer Request \| Donations \| Vehicle Donations
	Overview Background On January 16, 2002, several of us took a trip to Green Isle, a residential facility for youth in Claremont, Florida. Afterwards we discussed the growing need for alternative housing for foster children. Without more residential facilities, the problem of foster child placement will worsen, eventually forcing placement agencies to lower the standards for individual foster homes to simply accommodate the growing number of children needing placement. Our group felt that without the proper attention and resources dedicated to solving the foster home placement problem, children would be taken from one unacceptable home and placed in another offering questionable care when, in fact, these are the very children most in need of an enriched, nurturing environment. Further, we were concerned that without intervention, the abuses suffered by the foster children would repeat themselves in each new generation. As important as it is to help each child reach his full potential and take his rightful place as a contributing adult in the community, it is also important to realize that ultimately turning out well adjusted members of society will impact the quality of life for all of us. We agreed to start a nonprofit agency in Hernando County with the stated purpose being to minister to the community in need, especially youth. We discussed the desirability of being a nonprofit agency to be more efficient and effective in accomplishing our mission. Later we formed a board and held a fund raiser to obtain operating funds. Ultimate Vision Having our nonprofit 501(c)3 classification from the IRS means, among other things, that any donations we receive can be claimed as a tax deduction by the donor. Our initials are TLC which also stands for Tender Loving Care. Our ultimate vision is to build a facility that could serve almost 2000 youth ages birth through eighteen. The primary consideration has been to design a facility that would be financially feasible to build and operate and yet offer programs that would enrich the lives of children allowing each child to develop to his fullest potential. Children with a bad past could have a better present and a great future. It is increasingly difficult to maintain a high level of foster care let alone offer enrichment experiences while keeping costs down. We are all aware that we are living in a time of declining resources; we have to do more with less. Housing in a group foster care setting allows for maximizing resources and minimizing the possibility of additional trauma to children who are already hurting. Group setting We recognize the advantages of family style sleeping and eating as opposed to dormitories and dining halls so we plan to incorporate family style living at every opportunity. Some of the advantages of a group residential setting as opposed to individual foster families are: Continuity within each foster family Staff respite without the children being relocated Staff assisting one another to maximize staff efficiency Constant supervision to help eliminate abuse Standardization of hiring and ongoing staff training Facilities to house large sibling groups together Facilities to house teen parents with their own children On site counselors Block scheduled medical apts. to maximize transportation efficiency Clothing easily recycled Food purchased in bulk - for distribution to individual "families" Supervised recreational activities in greater variety and frequency Residents’ files standardized with less chance for error Residents professionally tracked Trained administrative staff Staff efforts coordinated Volunteers fully utilized Security tightly controlled Plant maintenance and safety continually addressed Housekeeping overseen and standards enforced Private areas on site for supervised visits The number of available beds in the community increased Evaluations leading to improved program effectiveness Local DCF workers could check many children all in one location Hernando County and District 13 Now let’s take a closer look at Hernando Country. It is part of district 13 which also includes Lake, Marion, Citrus and Sumter Counties. There are approximately 160,000 children in this district. These children represent almost 20% of the population (1 in 5). In Brooksville, the county seat, there are 3,220 households with a combined population of 7,263 people. The median income for a family is just over $31,000. That’s less than $600 a week per family. Maybe not so bad until you consider that some families make much more and some much less. Almost 17% of the families are living below the poverty line; 30% of the children are living blow the poverty line (or about one third). What exactly is a poverty line? The official definition is this: The poverty line is the level of income below which one can not afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. Sooo if a family can not afford to live, the stress level raises. When the parents are stressed, sometimes the frustration manifests itself in abuse. At the very least not having the resources to live has to result in some needs not being met. This can mean neglect! Just as wealthy parents may leave an inheritance to their children, so poor parents often pass on the inheritance of poverty. The negative effects of poverty tend to be continuous throughout generations. Educators have long understood the importance of breaking generational poverty through education. How can a child benefit from education if he doesn’t have his basic needs met? Before we can educate a child, we must be sure he is in a safe, nurturing environment. We don’t expect children who are hungry to learn well and we shouldn’t expect children whose other basic needs are not being met to function well either. Certainly not all children in the foster care program are from low income families. All children do have this in common though: they need to know they are in a safe place where they will be loved and cared for; then they can begin to trust the adults in their lives and aim toward their maximum potential. The Life Center would very much like to be a part of a solution that breaks generational poverty, raises the standard of living and the quality of life and offers a real hope to the next generation. Abuse in foster homes We have all read of incidences involving children in foster homes in Florida who were abused in the very homes into which they had been placed. According to Child Maltreatment in 2003 .5% of perpetrators of abuse were the foster parents themselves. This is unacceptable. As you probably know some of these children were later discovered to be dead or missing. Some of the missing children have never been found. If .5% seems low to you, ask yourself how you would feel if a child you love were abused by a caretaker. Put in those terms, even one case is too many. We need to find a better solution to the problem of providing care for hurting children. Our board has developed a business plan describing a group home that will provide honest, affordable, and reliable services for foster children. Start up We plan to start small. The Life Center plans to start with one "family" unit of 5-8 residents and their house parents. We believe in accountability at all levels. Our volunteer board will continue to monitor all aspects of The Life Center to help ensure the finest possible care for the children. At this early stage of operations; educational, medical and spiritual needs will be met by existing services in the community. The Life Center has the ultimate authority to use contributions made to us at our discretion for purposes consistent with our exempt purposes. Home - Feedback Vision and Mission \| Overview \| TLC Newsletter \| Inquiries \| Prayer Request \| Donations \| Vehicle Donations