Safe Children Coalition

Child welfare/foster care: in 1997 Safe Children Coalition pioneered the current foster care delivery system in Florida that has been adopted throughout the state. Collaborating with state and community partners, scc takes care of over 2,200 Children in manatee, sarasota, and desoto counties annually. The continuum of services provided include: diversion to prevent Children entering the welfare system, early intervention, child/family assessment, case planning and management, coordination of services, family preservation services, child placement in foster homes/residential homes or psychiatric care, adoption services, family reunification services and transitional living programs to assist Children on their road to independence.

Educational outreach programs (eos): a continuum of programs designed to elevate the quality of care, education, and family involvement for Children from kindergarten to grade 12. Hippy (home instruction for parents of preschool youngsters) influenced 125 Children and 99 parents by assisting parents in becoming more involved with the education of their Children between the ages of ages 2-5. There were over 150 students who participated in the achievers program whose mission is to empower at-risk youth to make and achieve positive goals. The program encourages continuous growth in the areas of: 1. Personal development 2. College preparation 3. Community service and leadership 4. Workforce readiness 5. Recreation. In fiscal year 2023, $40,000 was awarded in scholarships to participants and graduates of the achievers program for continuing college education.

Youth and family services programs: services are provided through two residential and two community based programs. The youth shelter provides temporary housing and care for Children between the ages of 10 and 17 who have run away, are experiencing conflict, or have been locked out of their homes. The youth shelter provided a Safe place for Children in a family-like atmosphere for a total of 2883 bed days. The Children receive daily transportation to and from school and after school tutoring. Each child participates in individual, group and family counseling and a variety of educational and recreational activities. Youth prevention services provided free counseling services to 398 youth (ages 10-17) and their families in the areas of anger management, peer relations, self-esteem, school, and home behaviors. The schoolhouse link program, in partnership with the sarasota county school board, helped to identify 1050 homeless students in the county. The program's goal is to ensure that students in transition are able to enroll, attend, and succeed in school. Schoolhouse link supports each student by helping create educational stability and by removing any barriers limiting their success. In fiscal year 2023, $7,000 was awarded in scholarships to participants of schoolhouse link for continuing college education.