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Critical Needs Fund Supports Children and Young Adults in Foster Care

Date: 05/04/20

Sunrise, Florida

To help stabilize Florida’s Child Welfare system and prevent placement disruptions during the COVID-19 outbreak, Sunshine Health and Community Based Care Integrated Care (CBC Integrated Health) provided $220,000 to support children in foster care and young adults who have aged out of foster care.

The funding was made available through an application process and distributed directly to young adults living independently, residential group care facilities, and medical/therapeutic foster parents that serve children in the Child Welfare system.

“More than 40 percent of the foster parents who reached out for help reported their employment was impacted by COVID-19,” said Neiko Shea, Sunshine Health’s Vice President of Child Welfare Programs. “We knew we had to act quickly to support caregivers during this uncertain time and keep critical services intact to prevent especially vulnerable children in foster care from being displaced.”

Sunshine Health and CBC Integrated Health work together to serve children in, or who have been adopted from, Florida’s Child Welfare system through the Sunshine Health Child Welfare Specialty Plan.

How the fund helped:

  • Much of the funding, about $103,000, was distributed to group care facilities that serve high-risk youth. Together, these facilities and providers are serving more than 200 children.
  • Approximately $44,000 was provided to 88 young adults, between the ages of 18 and 21, who are at the critical juncture of transitioning from foster care to independent living.
  • An additional $73,000 was given to specialized therapeutic and medical foster caregivers, who are licensed to provide advanced care to children with critical needs.

“During this time of uncertainty and critical health concern, we were pleased to have this dedicated fund in place as it allowed us to act quickly to get much needed resources directly to vulnerable young adults and to those caring for our most medically vulnerable children,” said Glen Casel, CEO of CBC Integrated Health.  “These homes provide a safety net for our kids all year round.  We are happy to be there for them when they need us.”

Foster homes, youth and facilities throughout the state received assistance through the Fund, including those covered under the lead agency areas of Big Bend Community Based Care, Brevard Family Partnership, ChildNet, Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, Citrus Family Services Network, Communities Connected for Kids, Community Partnership for Children, Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Embrace Families Community Based Care, Families First Network, Family Integrity Program, Family Support Services of North Florida, Heartland for Children, Kids Central, Kids First of Florida, Partnership for Strong Families, and Safe Children Coalition.