Fund a Need
Every day, hundreds of thousands of children in the US find themselves in the foster care system, seeking safety and stability due to circumstances beyond their control. More than 600,000 children are abused in the US each year. There are 88 reported cases of child abuse and neglect in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties each day. Half of the daily hotline calls are for children under five. Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are among the top rates for child abuse and neglect in our state. The statistics are staggering and heartbreaking.
With approximately 300,000 calls made to the Department of Children and Families Hotline each year, more than half of those reports get investigated and current statistics show about 11% of children were removed from their home and put into care. We know that children who enter foster care experience an increased risk of high school dropout, mental well-being and behavioral concerns, homelessness, and incarceration. Currently, there are about 23,000 children in foster care in the state of Florida.
Florida has the second highest number of foster placements in the country.
In partnership with the Sherriff’s Department, Suncoast Voices for Children Works tirelessly to find an alternative to the foster system. Kinship programs, where a relative or non-relative caregiver provides help to promote family preservation, is a more desirable option. A grandparent, aunt, uncle, or even a family friend can often be the answer.
Even with a willing and welcoming individual, well-intended barriers sometimes prevent the child from placement in a friendly environment. State rules require caregivers to provide a bed for each displaced child before that child can be relocated. Considering the urgent, last-minute situations resulting from a child’s removal, this can be a major obstacle.
To remedy this, Suncoast Voices is there to provide a new bed, bedding, pajamas, and a teddy bear to welcome the displaced child. Suncoast Voices for Children receive about 1,000 requests for beds per year. We believe that every child deserves a safe place to sleep.