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In Florida
each year there are 12,000 to 13,000 children who are not able
to live at home or sleep in their own beds. An adult in their
family abused or neglected them. It is no longer safe to live
at home, at least for awhile…perhaps forever. These children
are newborns; they are middle schoolers; they are teenagers;
they have brothers and sisters in the same boat; they are all
races and nationalities; a few have serious medical problems
and handicaps; most have hidden wounds.
Where do these
children go when they can no longer remain safely in their
homes? If there are no relatives who can take them in, then
they go to live with a foster family. Foster parents are
special people—they posses the gift of being able to open
their hearts and homes to children in need of safety, love and
nurturing, and when the time is right, to let them go again.
What sets foster parents apart is their ability to love a
child like one of their own, regardless of whether the child
lives with them for a month or for more than a year. Foster
parents have the challenging task of providing an atmosphere
that helps a child heal and prepare to go back home, if
possible, or on to a permanent home. Foster parents are a
vital resource for these children as they wait in limbo,
between a past that was painful and a future that’s uncertain.
ChildNet is the private, not-for-profit agency in
Broward
County
that is responsible for all child welfare programs regarding
children. ChildNet provides support
services to children and their families and in some cases,
provides a place
outside of the home for children to live while their family
problems are resolved.
This site will help you learn
more about foster families and the children.
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