Child Welfare Organizations Team Up to Solve the Foster Care Crisis

January 11, 2021 – Sarasota

Three organizations that help hundreds of children in the foster care system find placements with caring families are forging a new relationship to extend their reach and impact to help solve the continuing crisis in foster care of too few homes for too many children. 

The strategic partnership between One More Child, Heart Gallery of Sarasota and All Star Children’s Foundation is further strengthened by the support of the Libertore Fund for Children, whose mutual purpose is to transform the lives of foster children and build sustainable relationships between local non-profits serving at-risk children. 

The initiative is poised to find more families for our areas foster youth through an innovative technology that is improving efficiencies, enabling agencies to engage, identify, recruit, qualify and retain foster parents. We have entered partnership with these three organizations to begin to improve outcomes for children by finding more safe, stable and loving families,” said Matthew Straeb, President of the Heart Gallery of Sarasota.

The Heart Gallery created and maintains the technology called Family Finder. It includes an inquiry portal, FloridaFosterFamily.Org, that automates response tools and directs users to the services of One More Child and All Star Children’s Foundation. 

The Family Finder platform gathers detailed information about families and depending on their location, are directed to one of One More Child’s 74 offices across Florida, who license foster parents all across Florida, from the Panhandle to South Florida. A member of their staff responds within 24 hours and registers families for their online training, offered at flexible times, overcoming the obstacle of in-person classes that were often difficult for families to attend. 

“With the pandemic the reality is we continue to expect an uptick in the number of children coming into care, and we are doing everything we can in our power to create more simple, direct opportunities for people to step up to provide children with loving, safe homes,” said Alan Andrews, Senior Director of Foster Care at one More Child.

One More Child is currently on a heightened mission to recruit, train and license adults who are interested in fostering children in need. In the past two years the organization has placed nearly 3,000 foster children in safe, loving homes around Florida and been involved in nearly 200 adoptions from foster care.

Family Finders’ digital outreach is also identifying licensed foster parents who want be part of the All Star Children’s Foundation campus of “Hope and Healing” that includes six beautifully appointed family-style licensed foster homes, a 12,000 square foot clinic and treatment center and a community recreation center. 

“With technology, we will help more children by reaching more parents who would benefit from the trauma informed approach to parenting that All Star is engaged in on our campus,” according to Lindsey May, director of programs at All Star. All Star anticipates annually serving 90-100 children in its foster homes. 

Licensed foster parents interested in learning more about All Star’s trauma informed approach can reach out to Lindsey May at linsdeym@ascf.care. 

About Heart Gallery of Sarasota
The Heart Gallery of Sarasota, Inc. was established in 2005 to bring our community’s children into the light. The Heart Gallery of Sarasota has affected hundreds of adoptions in Sarasota, DeSota and Manatee counties. We engage over 50 professional photographers who capture the child’s character and spirit to attract the attention of prospective forever families. The success of the program is measured in the number of successful adoptions. Contact: Allison Juceam, Executive Director, Heart Gallery of Sarasota, 941-504-2135, aljuceam@yahoo.com or Matthew Straeb, president, Heart Gallery of Sarasota, 954-850-6606, mstraeb@gmail.com.

About One More Child
Whether it’s providing diapers for a newborn, food for a hungry child, safety for an abused child, or foster or adoptive homes to children in crisis, One More Child’s mission is to meet the immediate needs of hurting children and struggling families while building relationships that demonstrate the love of Christ. In 2018, the organization impacted more than 249,000 children and individuals through our expert programs and creative services to offer help, healing and hope. Contact: Alan Andrews, Director of Foster Care, 941-251-2493, alan.andrews@onemorechild.org. Visit OneMoreChild.Org. 

About All Star Children’s Foundation 
All Star Children’s Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the effects of trauma suffered by children who have been abused and transforming foster care through innovation, science, and compassion. All Star’s campus, located at 3300 17th St, in Sarasota, is a nurturing community consisting of a clinical treatment center; six family foster homes, a community clubhouse and inspirational green space featuring a playground, organic vegetable garden and butterfly garden. All Star will monitor and evaluate its innovative approach in order to develop models that can be adopted by foster care systems around the state and country. This project has been partially funded under an agreement with the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families. Contact: Stephen Fancher, Chief Development Office, 941-259-3706, sfancher@ascf.care