Protect and Inspire Every Child, Every Day

Meet Jessica

Please help change the destiny of a

child. It gives a child an identity, a new

last name, a sense of belonging, and a

stable, loving home.

Jessica is one of many youth who needs

a permanent home. Families come in all

shapes and sizes, and they are defined

by love and commitment, not only by

blood. Click here to learn more about

our kids.

Inside This Issue

CEO’s Message……………….2

Volunteer Spotlight………..3

Legislative Update………….4

A Look Back at 2013……….5

Upcoming Events……………7

Beating the Odds!

GED Fast Track

Foster youth graduate

high school receiving

their diploma and

begin their new

journey!

Community Based Care of Central Florida held its 1st GED

Fast Track program last November in collaboration with

Education Solutions International, LLC. This intensive two week

class was held daily at CBCCFL from 9am to 3pm daily.

The inaugural class consisted of 8 young ladies who were all eager

to obtain their GED before the New Year. The young adults were

provided daily transportation by Impower staff and by CBCCFL’s

Independent Living Manager’s. Breakfast, lunch and snack were

provided daily as part of the program. The goal was to provide all

the tools and resources necessary to allow the young adults the

opportunity to focus on the materials at hand.

Vol. 1 March 2014

The CBCCFL Boards

Board of Directors

Penny Jones, Board Chair Jeff Cannon

Shawn Smith, Chair Elect Kellie Landwer

County Advisory Boards Current and Incoming Members

Orange Osceola Seminole

Noel Beary Rafael Cammano Stephen Ball

Crocket Bohannon Drew Hawkes John Howell

Beth Boyer-Kollas Rueben Hill Michael Neswold

Mercedes Fonseca Twis Lizasuain Cade Resnick

Amy Gleeman Lien Nguyen Mary Ann Sheriff

Laura Haraburda Owen Wentworth

Shawn Smith

GED Fast Track Continued...

Before completing the course last December,

each student was registered at various GED

testing centers. The majority of them completed

their GED Testing at Seminole State College.

Education Solutions International, LLC staff were

available for an additional three days for any young

adult that did not pass any section of the GED. We

wanted to ensure that each young adult had plenty

of support in place to help them pass.

Upon completion of the GED Fast Track course,

seven out of the eight young ladies received their

GED and of those, two passed the test on their 1st

attempt!

A GED Fast Track graduation was held on February

13, 2014 at the CBC West Office. Several of the

young ladies attended and received their very own

mortar board, special recognition certificates, and

a gift. We would like to extend a heart-felt thank

you to everyone that came out and supported the

event! And many thanks to our sponsors:

Educational Solutions International, LLC, and The

Foundation for Foster Children. We couldn’t have

done it without you!

Page 1

Every Child Every Day

www.cbccfl.org Page 2

In 2014, Community Based Care of Central Florida (CBCCFL) will

mark our 10th anniversary of serving children and families.

Over the past decade, our organization has expanded from

CBC of Seminole to encompass Orange and Osceola counties

serving thousands of children in Central Florida.

Today, we are the region’s leading child welfare organization

with a mission to protect and inspire every child in our care.

The children we work with are victims or are at risk of abuse,

neglect and abandonment … they’ve been let down again and

again … and, more than anything, they need a source of

stability and love in their lives. In every aspect of our work, we

strive to do what’s right by our kids – putting them at the center

of every decision made on their behalf.

One way we can do this is through preventive care that addresses the root causes of abuse, neglect

and abandonment – like substance abuse, financial crisis and mental health. Whenever possible, we

work hard to keep families intact or eventually reunite them. And when that’s not an option, we seek

permanent, loving homes.

Recently, CBCCFL diversified its programming, services and funding to provide a more robust

continuum of care – starting with providing integrated healthcare for children in the child welfare

system. In 2013, our partner Sunshine Health, was selected by the Florida Agency for Healthcare

Administration to manage a plan for the healthcare and behavioral healthcare services for children in

the child welfare system throughout the state. As a result of this, we will be coordinating the delivery

of healthcare which includes behavioral healthcare services for the children in the child welfare system

throughout Florida. In everything we do, we’re deeply indebted to our strong, cohesive network of

agency and community partners; our generous individual and corporate donors; and our committed

volunteers. And of course, we’re immensely grateful for the individuals who choose to open their

hearts and homes to children in need.

CBCCFL is committed to broadening our partnerships and continuing to evolve the child welfare system

in order to improve the safety and well-being of our kids.

On behalf of them, thank you for caring about and supporting our work.

Sincerely,

Glen Casel, CEO

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Michelle Billhartz! She is one of our

dedicated volunteers that has given her time

and talents to our organization over the last

few years. She was first introduced to CBCCFL

by Debbie Leon during their Leadership

Seminole class. At this time in her life, Michelle

was feeling a tug at her heart to do more, to

give back! She was invited to help out with our

gala Dance, Dream and Inspire and she’s been

on the move with us ever since!

Michelle has a passion for fostering and

adoption because she has created a forever

family by adopting her two daughters. “I

adopted my girls Sophie and Mia, so giving

children the chance at a loving, stable family

life that may not otherwise have that

available is something very personal to me”.

Michelle is very passionate about fostering

and has said “ I admire my friends that foster,

as the hardest part is to “love and let go.”

“You want to give that child a good head start

and a fulfilling life even if they are only with

you for a short time.”

Michelle’s advice about volunteering is to

research causes that match up with your

values, go to their events, volunteer for a

day and start to understand how they run the

organization. “Do what you are passionate

about, that is how you can make the most

difference!”

Thank you so much Michelle for your hard

work, dedication and commitment to the

children and families that we support.

Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

Page 3

To learn more about volunteering, contact Lydia Santis, Mentor and Volunteer Coordinator, at lydia.santis@cbccfl.org.

Legislative Update

In January, a law went into effect extending foster care services

through age 21. Now, we can offer 18-year olds the choice to

stay in care as long as they are working toward a college degree,

vocational training or sustaining a job.

Gerry Glynn, CBCCBL’s Chief Legal Officer, said “No good parent

opens the door when a child turns 18 and says, ‘out you go and

don’t come back’. Why should we do that to foster kids?”

Nearly 80 percent of those aging out of foster care at 18 become homeless within 3 years.

Now we can give them the support they need to build a future.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

To post a wish, contact Lydia Santis, Mentor and Volunteer Coordinator, at lydia.santis@cbccfl.org.

Please provide all of the following information:

The child’s first and last name

Age of the child

Grade in school

Which case management agency the child has been placed with

Child’s hobbies and interests

Please submit wishes between 4-6 weeks before the occasion.

To donate, go to www.onesimplewish.org and search for

Community Based Care of Central Florida

Do You know a Child with a Special Wish? Help grant a birthday or graduation wish

for a foster child with the click of your

mouse! CBCCFL has recently partnered

with One Simple Wish, an organization

that provides wishes for foster children all

over the USA.

They have been featured regularly on

news stations such as CNN and NBC.

Page 4

Jump on the Bus!

A Look Back at 2013

Christmas Extravaganza We are so proud to share that over 1,000 foster

children were able to enjoy a Christmas experience

this year. The day was a family celebration filled with

toys, puppets, pony rides, more than 4,000 presents to

choose from and of course a visit from Santa! Students in the High School High

Tech program came to the balloon table and offered to make balloon animals for

the kids. They could have easily spent the day doing teenager things but chose to

spend the day giving back. It really touched

our hearts!

“While I was face painting, I

watched children smile as

they felt the paintbrush

strokes. One asked, Do I

look beautiful? I said of

course you look awesome.

Now let’s put more glitter

on these hearts”. We both

smiled, Nilmarie Zapata,

Public Allies

National Adoption Day

We celebrated National Adoption Day on November

22nd. On that day 30 children in Orange, Osceola

and Seminole counties, joined their forever families .

Ranging from infants to teens, they were among

nearly 4,500 youth adopted in ceremonies across the

country. Florida's First Lady, Ann Scott, attended the

ceremonies in Osceola County and was among many

dignitaries and community leaders who shared their

support. Judge Nancy Alley, presiding over the

ceremony in Seminole County said “Since my very first experience with National Adoption Day,

it has always been close to my heart. If you see a judge cry, this is the time. There’s nothing

more powerful than witnessing the creation of a new family.”

The adoption ceremonies were covered by local news and print media, helping to share our

message in central Florida.

…………………………………………………………………

www.cbccfl.org Page 5

If you or your organization would like to host a toy

drive, donate or volunteer, please contact

Keri Flynn, Community Relations Manager

keri.flynn@cbccfl.org

Jump on the Bus!

A Look Back at 2013

“While I was face painting, I

watched children smile as

they felt the paintbrush

strokes. One asked, Do I

look beautiful? I said of

course you look awesome.

Now let’s put more glitter

on these hearts”. We both

smiled, Nilmarie Zapata,

Public Allies

We need all hands on deck! ………………………. Make a Difference

Host a table at our Open Your Heart breakfast

Learn more about becoming a foster parent

Provide financial support

Become a mentor

Host a fundraiser

Host a drive for needed items

Donate professional services

Join a committee

For more information on how to get involved, please contact debbie.leon@cbccfl.org

Moving Forward... …………………………………………………………………

Page 6

Almost 100 of our teens and young adults in

foster care spent Christmas Day like no other!

Thanks to our dedicated board chair, Penny

Jones, the youth spent the day aboard a

state-of-the-art bus equipped with DVD

players and karaoke machines for caroling.

Among the many stops that day were Fun

Spot Attractions, The Ice! at Gaylord Palms

and a trip to Wonderworks. This was the

first annual Jump on the Bus experience and

we hope to make this a tradition for years to

come. Thanks so much Penny for your

wonderful idea, time, talent and dedication

and thanks to Florida Hospital for sponsoring

the event.

For more information on Fostering and Adoption, please call 866-90-CHILD (24453).

Save the Date for These Upcoming Events

If you want to learn more

about CBCCFL, please join us

at our annual Open Your

Heart Breakfast on Tuesday,

June 24, 2014. This free

breakfast will surely inspire

you! Click here to RSVP

We will be hosting our first ever 5k/Stroller Derby on Saturday, November 1, 2014.

The inaugural Stroller Derby will be held at the beautiful Harbor Park in Baldwin Park. This is going to be the family event of the year, so grab your son, daughter, niece, nephew or pet and let’s take a stroll around Harbor Park!

Registration is $25 per family. Day of event registration is $30

1st Annual Stroller Derby

…………………………………………………………………

For more information on how to get involved, contact debbie.leon@cbccfl.org Page 7

Save the date for an exciting night of

fun, music and dancing as CBCCFL

puts on Orlando’s version of

‘Dancing with the Stars’, Dance,

Dream and Inspire at the Hard Rock

Live, on Saturday, September 13,

2014.

…………………………………………………………………

For more information on Fostering and Adoption, please call 866-90-CHILD (24453).

Save the Date for These Upcoming Events Through the Eyes of a Child

These are real wishes from some of our children. It is amazing how simple and heartfelt they can be.

Please visit our website @ www.cbccfl.org for more information on becoming a foster parent or creating

a forever family for a child through adoption.

“My teachers are proud of me for being on the honor roll, I wish I had a

family to be proud of me too.”

-Anquiette

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

“I went to camp for the first time this summer and wish I had a forever

family to write home to.”

-Julius

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“I wish I had a mommy to pack my lunch for school and do all the little

things that make mommies so special.”

-Raymonne

www.cbccfl.org Page 8

For more information on fostering and adoption, please call 866-90-CHILD(24453)

CBCCFL Donation Form

□ Yes! I would like to donate now and support the work of

Community Based Care of Central Florida:

□ $50 Make the first day of school memorable □ $250 Broaden a child’s horizon

by covering the cost of school supplies with a summer camp experience

□ $500 Bring countless smiles to a child □ $1,000 Create a “forever family”

By providing art and music lessons by covering the adoption costs or annual athletic fees of one child

□ Other ___________

Please make checks payable to Community Based Care of Central Florida

Credit Card Information

Credit Card Number: _____________________________________

Expiration Date: ______________ CVC #: ____________________

Name on Card __________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________

City_______________________________ St____ Zip________

Email ______________________________________________

Phone ___________________

To donate to Community Based Care of Central Florida and make a lasting impact in the lives of foster

children in Central Florida, please visit www.cbccfl.org/donate or mail your donation directly to :

Community Based Care of Central Florida

Attn: Fund Development

4001 Pelee Street

Orlando, FL 32817