There's Still Time to Join the Movement!
View WFTV’s Forever Families segment re: the MANicure Movement® While April 2020 will always be remembered for stay at home orders amidst COVID-19, we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Like the Coronavirus, child abuse is a critical health concern that threatens the lives and well-being of an especially vulnerable population. However, unlike Coronavirus, there is no vaccine we can develop to protect our children from the threat of abuse. The only
Help Show Our Kids “You Are Not Alone” during This Time Of COVID-19
Like all of us, teens and young adults in foster care are experiencing isolation and uncertainty during this time of stay-at-home orders and social separation. But unlike many of us, they do not have the same support network of family, neighbors and colleagues available to borrow an extra roll of toilet paper or to connect with through daily zoom meetings or virtual game nights. Click video below to hear how Morgan Donovan, our youth navigator who works closely with this young adult population, describes
Seminole County FL - March 30 COVID-19 Update
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL (March 30, 2020)- Seminole County Office of Emergency Management has been under a Local State of Emergency (LSE) since March 2, 2020, and continues to monitor COVID-19. As of 7:45 a.m., there are 83 confirmed cases in Seminole County, 77 of which are Seminole County residents. Updates can be found at prepareseminole.org and on the County’s social media channels. PRESS CONFERENCE Today, at 2:00 p.m., a press conference will be held at the Seminole County Public Safety Building to
Disney Wishes Help Get a Life Back on Track
Have you ever wondered what happens to the coins used to make wishes in fountains and other water features all over the Walt Disney World Resort property? Well for the last several years, those coins have helped make wishes come true for the children and teens served by Embrace Families. Last year, Disney Cast Members voted to designate their “wishing well” funds to make sure that our youth services team has the resources they need to help our older youth get back on their feet when they need it the most.
“Dance, Dream & Inspire” Competition Raises More Than $200,000 To Help Local Children At Risk Of Abuse, Neglect
Stacia Wake Wins Seventh Annual Dance Competition ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2020) – Stacia Wake and her partner Mike Foncannon danced their way to victory at the “Dance, Dream & Inspire” charity competition, helping raise more than $200,000 for a local charity that serves vulnerable children and their families. The annual gala benefits Embrace Families, Central Florida’s nonprofit lead agency overseeing foster care and other services for childhood victims of abuse, neglect and abandonment. This year’s
Embrace Families Hosts Eighth Annual Dance, Dream & Inspire Ballroom Dance Competition
Local Celebrities Raise Funds to Support Children in Foster Care WHAT: Embrace Families – the region’s lead agency overseeing foster care and adoption in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties – will host its eighth annual Dance, Dream & Inspire ballroom dance and fundraising competition to benefit local children in foster care. Local “celebrities” will pair up with professional ballroom dance instructors to perform choreographed routines that
Embrace Families Seeks Food, Gift Donations For Families In Need
ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 4, 2019) - With as many as 5,200 children receiving child welfare services every month in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, Embrace Families is seeking assistance to deliver a memorable holiday season to the families it serves. The nonprofit is asking the community to donate food and gift items. As part of this initiative, Embrace Families aims to provide 200 Thanksgiving dinners. Most of these will go to participants in the Pathways to Home program, which for the last decade, has
Pathways To Home Celebrates Decade Of Embracing Families In Need
Nonprofit Expanded from Grassroots Origin, Helping More Than 1,600 Homeless Children ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 30, 2019) – Pathways to Home, a Central Florida-based program that helps homeless families with children achieve shelter, security and self-sufficiency, marks its tenth anniversary this fall. Since its inception in 2009, Pathways to Home has served 614 families, including 1,631 children. The program began as a collaborative community effort in the Seminole County Children’s Cabinet by Embrace
$45,000 Raised by Embrace Families “Fore Our Kids”
Embrace Families wants to thank everyone who helped make its second “Fore Our Kids” golf tournament a great success by raising more than $45,000. Golfers united on Friday, Oct. 25 at Timacuan Golf and Country Club in Lake Mary to support the region’s lead nonprofit agency overseeing foster care, adoption and child welfare services in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards critical services and assistance programs designed to ensure safety, provide permanence and
Reed Automotive Group And Embrace Families Surprise Two Youths In Foster Care With New Cars
Cars for Kids Partnership Celebrates Fifth Year Providing Life-Changing Transportation ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2019) – Two local teens transitioning out of foster care now have stable transportation, thanks to a partnership between Embrace Families and Reed Automotive Group. Now in its fifth year, the Cars for Kids program has donated 10 cars to 10 deserving young adults. The most recent recipients – Ashley Roberts, 20, and Hope Fuller, 18 – were surprised with 2019 Nissan Sentras. “Our partnership
Golfers Tee Off To Prevent Child Abuse October 25
On Friday, Oct. 25, golfers will tee off in the “Fore Our Kids” tournament to raise money in support of critical services and assistance designed to strengthen families and prevent child abuse. Last year, Embrace Families provided services to over 8,000 children in Central Florida -- some of whom are in foster care; all of whom are victims of, survivors of, or at risk of abuse or neglect. Funds raised from this event will be used to ensure safety, provide permanence and maintain the well-being of
Local Residents Recognized For Supporting Families In Foster Care
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 10, 2019) – Four Central Floridians have earned statewide recognition for their outstanding commitment to families in foster care. Embrace Families, the region’s lead agency overseeing child welfare, nominated the following winners of the Florida Coalition for Children Foundation awards. They were honored during the Foundation’s 2019 Annual Conference on July 9 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Board Member of the Year: Mike Neswold. A Longwood resident, Neswold has served on the
Keys To Independence A Success In Helping Foster Kids Get Driver’s Licenses
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 4, 2019) – Keys to Independence, a program which first began as a pilot project 4.5 years ago, has already reached an impressive milestone. Funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families and managed by Embrace Families, it has helped older teens in foster care obtain 500 driver’s licenses and 1,000 learner’s permits. Thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds currently reside in Florida’s foster care system. It has historically been difficult for them to get driver’s licenses. Only
Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Renews Mental Health Awareness Campaign
SANFORD, Fla. (May 22, 2019) – “It’s OK to talk about it… Mental Health Matters.” That is the message of a mental health awareness campaign brought back this month by Seminole System of Care, a joint initiative of Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Embrace Families, formerly known as Community Based Care of Central Florida. The primary goals of the campaign include:Reducing the stigma around mental healthEmpowering the general public to feel comfortable talking about itDirecting those struggling with
When Words Heal: A Day in the Life of a Clinical Social Worker
My grandmother was in foster care back in the 1920s. In reality, there wasn’t much ‘care’ in the system back then. Unprotected by law, orphans and impoverished children were shipped out as laborers to farms and households in rural America. My grandmother spent years working for her keep after being separated from her brother. Although she searched for him as an adult, they were never reunited. Her stories always stuck with me, and I grew up wondering what causes children to end up in foster care.
