MELBOURNE, FL \u2013 March 14, 2013 \u2013 Adults who have wondered what it\u2019s like and what it takes to be a foster parent to a child in need, and who would like to hear from current foster families and the organizations that support foster care will have an opportunity learn more at a prospective foster parent informational event, hosted by Brevard Family Partnership and the Florida Department of Children and Families on Tuesday, March 26 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Astronaut Hall of Fame – 6225 Vectorspace Blvd., Titusville, FL 32780.<\/p>\n
\u201cSearching for the Next Generation of Foster Families\u201d is the theme for the space-based event that will feature displays, demonstrations and interactive activities that are housed at the Astronaut Hall of Fame while also introducing guests to several organizations that manage and administer the foster care system in Brevard County. Presentations by Brevard Family Partnership, Brevard County\u2019s lead agency for child welfare and the Florida Department of Children and Families, along with foster home licensing partner Devereux Florida, foster youth case management agency, Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida, and the Space Coast Foster and Adoptive Families Alliance will provide overviews of the foster care system, the criteria for and expectations of foster parents, the training involved, and the various levels of foster care that are provided to children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. Prospective foster parents who have children are invited to bring them so they can also learn what becoming a foster family is like.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for adults and families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to provide care for children who have been removed from their homes for their own health and safety,\u201d said Brevard Family Partnership\u2019s chief operations officer, Jim Carlson. \u201cWe have a great group of current foster parents and families here in Brevard but there is a need for even more who can offer a child a safe place to stay while his or her family recovers from the issues that led to their children being removed. We hope that many of our Brevard friends and neighbors will join us and find out just how rewarding foster parenting can be!\u201d<\/p>\n
Foster parents can be married or single and there are no restrictions on race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Following the Florida Quality Parenting Initiative, a recently introduced program that trains foster parents to how become involved in the foster child\u2019s life and provide them with a sense of normalcy, today\u2019s foster parents are actively engaged in helping children to heal while interacting with the court system – and to the extent possible the child\u2019s parents or caregivers – to help them reunify and become a whole family once again. The partner agencies involved in foster care provide in-depth training and ongoing support to every foster family in their program. Current foster parents are also available to provide mentoring and guidance to new foster parents to help them prepare and care for children place in their homes.<\/p>\n
There is no charge to attend the event and refreshments and a light dinner will be served. Reservations are required. To make a reservation or for more information, please visit www.BrevardFP.org, call (321) 752-4650 ext. 3047 or email Stephanie.Strodtman@fpocf.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MELBOURNE, FL \u2013 March 14, 2013 \u2013 Adults who have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-releases","wpautop"],"yoast_head":"\n