SARASOTA – Two Suncoast groups team up to help foster kids re-adjust when going into a new home.
“When these children are moved to other housing it is a traumatic experience,” said Vice President of Mission Services of Goodwill Manasota, Margie Genter.
The Children’s Guardian Fund and Goodwill Manasota are working together to help more than 12 hundred children who have been removed for their homes due to negligence or abuse.
“And 50 percent of those kids are 5 years old or younger, 90 percent of them are 12 or under so we’re talking about very little children who are in the care of the state,” said Executive Director of the Children’s Guardian Fund, Svetlana Ivashchenko.
Genter says most of the time the moves are so sudden, children leave their homes with almost nothing
“Without their clothing, they don’t have furniture and they’re going to a family member’s home perhaps or an alternate caregiver who may not be prepared for their arrival,” said Genter.
Goodwill Manasota will provide gift cards for the foster families to buy anything from clothes to furniture
“So that they can pick out their own stuff, maybe that child can pick out their own clothing, maybe they can get the cool labels that they want to wear and not get something that feels like a hand-me-down,” said Genter.
Goodwill will also provide career services for teens, caregivers and biological parents
“We’ll help make sure they have a killer resume, we’ll help make sure they feel comfortable interviewing, these days, most interviews are through zoom, so we’ll help with that,” said Genter.
Guardian at Litem is also looking for volunteers to help advocate for kids in need.
“The children who have an advocate do so much better, they stay in foster care less time, they move less frequently, they do better in school if they’re school aged, they get more services, and they’re more likely to reach permanency faster,” said Ivashchenko.
For more information to volunteer or donate you can visit Guardian ad Litem’s website here.