Windermere Teen Donates Chess Sets To Youth In Foster Care
After chess helped him overcome difficulties in his own life, a local teenager hopes to help other children use the game to get through their own hardships. On May 12, 17-year-old Windermere High School student, Evan Mathura, donated 100 chess sets to Embrace Families, the lead nonprofit agency overseeing foster care, adoption and child welfare services in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. The organization will distribute the chess sets to youth in foster care who express interest in the sport. “We
Essential Work: Keeping Families Safe
Amy Moncion, LCSW-QS I’ll be honest: It’s been a long year for social workers. As advocates for child welfare, we know how to handle a full plate. In a good year, we’re busy helping families navigate financial hardship, job loss and even homelessness. When parents are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse disorder, we connect them with the resources to recover. We advocate for kids in schools, doctor’s offices, courtrooms and living rooms. 2020 brought all those issues – and some new ones
It takes just 1 conversation
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month – and for the past several years a grassroots effort designed to raise awareness and ignite change has been growing steadily. In 2017, Embrace Families launched the MANicure MovementSM because one fingernail painted blue can start one conversation that moves us one step closer to ending the tragic reality that one in five children will suffer abuse before the age of 18. This year, Embrace Families is hosting a series of webinars aimed at prompting
Florida Helps Drive Access To Greater Independence For Foster Youth Nationwide
New Federal Law Provides Funding to States That Start Driver’s License Program ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Embrace Families is pleased to announce the recently enacted COVID Relief Package included a provision that will bring newfound independence for thousands of youth in foster care by making it easier for them to obtain a driver’s license. The provision was based on Keys to Independence, a Florida program developed by Embrace Families, the lead nonprofit organization overseeing child welfare
Embrace Diversity for Florida’s Children
By Mike Bryant As a kid, I lived on the “right side of the tracks.” My dad was a lieutenant colonel, one of the only African American officers of that rank in the military base where I grew up – and that meant I was one of the only black kids in my neighborhood and my school. The base wasn’t explicitly segregated by race, but it was segregated by rank. I learned to live with the undercurrents of racism in every part of my life, including seeing the way people would salute my dad with a veneer of
Kids Deserve Families – and Futures
By Glen Casel, president & CEO of Embrace Families On any given day in Central Florida, there are close to 3,000 children in the care of our community, many of them in foster care. Kids don’t enter the child welfare system because they have done anything wrong. They are there to make sure they are in a safe place. Sometimes that is to protect them from abuse, but much more often it is to make sure their needs aren’t neglected as their families struggle with circumstances that can lead to abuse or
“Fore Our Kids” Golf Tournament Will Be Held Oct. 23
WHAT: On Fri., Oct. 23, golfers will tee off in the “Fore Our Kids” tournament to raise money for Embrace Families. The event will support critical services that provide assistance to strengthen families and prevent child abuse. Last year, Embrace Families delivered services to over 9,500 children in Central Florida. Some are in foster care; all are victims of, survivors of, or at risk of abuse or neglect. Funds raised from this event will be used to ensure safety, provide permanency and maintain the
COVID-19 Hits Hardest for Parents with Kids. Here’s How to Help.
Recently, a single mom – let’s call her “Rachel” – reached out, seeking urgent rent assistance. She never thought she would have to do that … until the coronavirus hit. Rachel had a stable job at the start of the pandemic. Unlike many Floridians, she was able to work remotely when offices closed. But Rachel also had a toddler at home, and she didn’t have anyone to help with childcare when she was on business calls. When her boss decided that the background noise was too disruptive, Rachel was let
This School Year, It’s Okay To Take It Easy
Work. Stress. Socially distant schooling. It’s never easy being a parent, but this fall brings more challenges than most – and right now, one of the toughest challenges of all is helping our kids feel safe in an uncertain world. As the school year begins, here are some ideas designed to reduce the pressure – for yourself and your kids: Create a routine. Adding structure to the day is one of the best ways to feel “normal” –even when the world around us isn’t. For kids who feel anxious, it’s reassuring
Central Florida Residents Recognized For Helping Children And Families In Foster Care
Florida Coalition for Children Foundation Honors IndividualsNominated by Embrace Families ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 18, 2020) – Central Floridians Diane DeMark and Mike Bryant recently earned statewide recognition for their outstanding commitment to helping families in foster care. Embrace Families, the region’s lead agency overseeing child welfare, nominated DeMark and Bryant for the Florida Coalition for Children Foundation’s George Sheldon Lifetime Achievement and Champion for Children awards, respectively.
When “Back to School” Isn’t Back to Normal
Parenting is never easy, but 2020 has been especially taxing. Over the past few months, we’ve learned to navigate closed classrooms, virtual learning, lockdowns, and medical precautions – and, not least of all, the herculean feat of keeping kids entertained at home. But with Florida schools slated to open in the fall, parents face a new dilemma: stick with virtual learning, or send kids back to class? With so many complicating factors – work, health, education, social development, emotional wellness
Embrace Families Celebrates National Reunification Month
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 25, 2020) – In honor of National Reunification Month this June, Central Florida’s leading foster care nonprofit, Embrace Families, shared statistics that illustrate the importance of reunification programs in building stronger families and communities. Since its founding in 2004, Embrace Families has followed a reunification-first model. The nonprofit seeks to keep children out of foster care – and to limit the emotional and psychological harm of separation – by helping parents build
Embrace Families: Graduation Parades
Embrace Families recently hosted three drive-by graduation parades in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties for 40 youths in foster care. All students honored with car honking, sign waving and “contactless” gift delivery either graduated from high school, college or vocational school. According to the National Foster Youth Institute, approximately 50% of youth in foster care complete high school. However, young adults in foster care in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties have a higher success rate of
Talking to Kids About Injustice and Anxiety
As a parent, it can be hard to know what to say to your kids about the civic unrest and protests sweeping our nation. Like many adults today, I never had conversations about police brutality or discrimination with my own parents. But as a biracial woman, as the wife of a black man and the mother of a black child, I need to equip my four-year-old daughter with the information she needs to be safe. I do so with the knowledge that, even if I raise her to be a model citizen, she will face injustice,
Embrace Families, Inc. Applauds Congressmen Davis and Bacon for Recognizing National Foster Care Month by Helping Foster Youth Gain Independence with Driver’s Licenses
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 4, 2020) - The end of Foster Care Awareness Month brought with it a new beginning for thousands of foster children across America. Embrace Families enthusiastically supports the Foster Youth and Driving Act (H.R. 7042) recently introduced by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) to promote access to driver’s licenses for foster youth. Modeled on the successful Keys to Independence, or K2I program in Florida, the Foster Youth and Driving Act would create
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
