CHANGE A LIFE FOR GOOD Open Your Heart & Home to a Child

None of us can change the past, but we can always seek a brighter future.

This is the hope of hundreds of children right here in our communities who have suffered trauma—and who desperately need safe, loving homes. There are over 200 children in Lake County and another 75 in Sumter County who have been removed from their parents due to abuse and neglect. Of these, 100 children in Lake County and 25 in Sumter County are in licensed foster homes. Thus, there is truly a great and urgent need for foster and adoptive parents, especially for children ages 9 to 15.

Many social factors have led to this situation. Trying economic times have put an even greater strain on struggling families. The substance abuse epidemic found across the nation has struck many local homes. Parents in the grip of mental illness are often unable to care for their children.

Generational cycles of domestic violence make victims of innocent children. But while these societal problems are broad and complex, the solution is local and personal:

in Need

Fostering or adopting an older child gives you the opportunity to make a difference for a lifetime in a relatively short span of time. The formative years of 9 to 15 are a special window when many of the learned behaviors, attitudes, and approaches to life that carry us into adulthood are formed. By providing a nurturing home and guidance to a child in this critical age range, you can help them achieve a lifetime of greater success and happiness. You can help them escape from cycles of abuse and neglect, making a positive impact in the community for generations to come.

Like all parenting, fostering and adoption are challenging, but for those who feel called to care for children who have suffered abuse and neglect, the rewards are enormous. Please ask yourself if you are called to join the everyday heroes who open their hearts and homes to children.

Our plea to you— Just Take One

Make a difference in the life of one child as a foster or adoptive parent. Give them a fresh start with love and caring, an experience that they will carry with them always. You cannot change the past, but you can help heal the heart of a child who has suffered. You can change a life.

To learn more about fostering and adoption in our community, please contact Paula Mealy of Kids Central by calling (352) 387-3487 or emailing Paula.Mealy@KidsCentralinc.org. Kids Central is the nonprofit agency that coordinates foster care and adoption in our community.