All over the United States, children are caught in terrible situations. Sometimes it’s an abusive home. Sometimes it’s neglect. Sometimes it’s abandonment. Whatever the reason, parents aren’t always there for their kids, and when the unfortunate event happens that a child is pulled from an unsafe situation there is not always another place for the child to go. Further, when siblings are removed from their home they are often separated, leading to significantly more trauma.

Children in Crisis looks to make a difference in the lives of children who are removed from their homes in Northwest Florida. It began as a dream for a group of individuals who saw the effect that foster care typically leaves on young psyches. Stripped from the things that bring them comfort, many children would rather remain in the unsafe situation due to familiarity with it. More often than not, these children already feel hopeless, and once they’re removed from their parents the hopelessness continues as they bounce from home to home and are separated from their sisters and brothers.

Children in Crisis saw the situation as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in foster care.

Their goal is to provide safe, stable homes for children who have been abused, neglected, and abandoned within our local community, as well as to keep siblings together throughout the process. The organization provides multiple types of housing for children of any age, even into young adulthood. The Children’s Neighborhood functions as an emergency shelter for children removed from an unsafe environment. Beyond that, Children in Crisis maintains a total of five family foster homes, each housing six to eight children, and each containing two adults functioning as parents. In addition, Children in Crisis provides an Opportunity Home which contains a total of eight studio apartments designed for young adults who have aged out of foster care, but aren’t prepared for life ahead quite yet.

The children placed with the organization come from the Florida Department of Children and Families foster program, and are placed by the Families First Network. They are currently the only shelter which provides a home for foster children as well as an emergency shelter for children in immediate need. Currently, the Children’s Neighborhood has the capacity to serve seventy-four foster children at any given time, and usually assists a total of one hundred throughout the year.

Each year, Children in Crisis holds an annual charity drive, with this year, their fourteenth annual, the event was hosted by Tommy Bahama and took place on October 11th at the Kelly Plantation Golf Club. Yet, there’s still time to participate and support this incredible organization!

For further information about Children in Crisis visit them at 1000 Luke’s Way in Fort Walton Beach or online at www.childrenincrisisfl.org. They can also be contacted at (850) 864 – 4242 or via email at info@childrenincrisisfl.org.

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