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12/13/2010 - Cuts before christmas leave 118 Year Old children’s home concerned

Contact: Cathy Stone
Phone: (813) 774-1531

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2010

Cuts before christmas leave 118 Year Old children’s home concerned

Tampa,FL, December 8, 2010:  While visions of sugar plums dance in the heads of hundreds of previously abused and neglected children cared for by The Children’s Home, Inc. the organization’s CEO, Gerard Veneman is concerned about how cuts in funding and donations will impact the child centered non-profit that has been a beacon of hope for children in the Tampa Bay area for over 118 years.  “While we are pleased to see most of the wish lists will be filled for the 48 children living on our campus by Christmas morning—keeping the lights on in every cottage is a much bigger concern right now,” said Veneman. 

Just last week the organization was advised by United Way of Tampa Bay that they could not continue a portion of the funding previously directed toward the organization’s residential program.  This lines up and adds to the 13% decrease The Children’s Home is seeing in donations from individuals so far this fiscal year.  No doubt, a reflection of difficult economic times, this news comes on the heels of reductions totaling nearly $500,000 that the organization has been struggling to absorb over the past year. 

“There just aren’t many more places we can cut and ensure that these children have the quality care and opportunity to heal that they deserve,” said Veneman.  Over the past year the organization has cut overhead costs by 10% and has considered venturing into other child and family programs that offer services to the wider community for a fee.  This would help to fill the gap, but such measures take time to develop and bear fruit.

Yesterday, the organization’s Executive Board of Directors passed a motion to dip into its dwindling endowment to pay the bills, this has Veneman and the Board concerned.  “What we need is a revival of community support for The Children’s Home so that we can be here for every child that is brought to our door needing a safe place to heal—but without an increase in community donations, we will be looking at turning children away come the first of the year—and personally I can not bear the thought of that,” said Veneman.  “Our staff and Board have worked hard to create a setting that is focused on healing abused and neglected children—not just housing them—and we do that better than anyone else—at a cost that is less than anyone else,” added Board Chair, Greg Albers.  In fact, The Children’s Home’s cost of $240/day to care for and treat a severely abused and neglected child on its residential campus is an investment well made.  According to statistics, children in the child welfare system who are severely abused if not treated are more inclined to become homeless or incarcerated.  Ironically, the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank states the cost for incarcerating a youth in the juvenile justice system is $240/day.  The Children’s Home believes that an investment on the front end, by providing a place where these children can heal and become a part of a family in our community where they can thrive is a much better investment.

The organization is reaching out to the Tampa Bay community for help.  They need ongoing financial donations and must raise $400,000 before the end of the year to ensure their care giving for the children living on their residential campus can continue at its current levels in the New Year.  Donations can be made by calling 813-864-1534, by mail at 10909 Memorial Hwy, Tampa, FL  33615 or on the web at www.childrenshome.org.

About Children’s Home, Inc.  (www.childrenshome.org)

The Children’s Home, Inc. is an accredited, community supported, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that has operated child and family-centered programs in the Tampa Bay area for 118 years. The Children’s Home seeks to create a community where children and families feel loved, nurtured, and safe through a variety of programs that help nearly 12,000 children and adults each year.  Our services include, Strengthening Families for over 10,000 parents and children each year at four locations providing family support, outreach, and prevention services throughout the Tampa Bay area; Finding & Supporting Forever Families for over 800 parents and children through therapeutic and traditional foster homes, adoptive services, community based care, and kinship services; and Healing the Trauma of Abuse and Neglect for 100 children in residence at our healing campus each year who are learning how to set boundaries, goals and have healthy relationships with loving adults. In addition we serve over 700 children and adults in our outpatient mental health program, Inside Out, and through community based care.

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