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The St. Petersburg Junior League, with a 76 year history, has been involved with foster care issues for many years. Due to a growing statewide concern about the quality of care for children in Florida's foster care system, the local chapter has increased its efforts.
"In the fall of 2007, Diane Zambito, executive director of Connected by 25, spoke to our membership at the statewide conference about the status of children in foster care – specifically those who are aging out," says Elise Minkoff, former president of the St. Petersburg Junior League. "After her presentation, she had three foster care girls tell their personal stories. It was very compelling. And, at the end, several Junior League members shared their personal experiences of being in foster care or being adopted. It was extremely moving. That message was carried back to our 15,000 members across the state and the statewide public affairs committee made children aging out of foster care a priority. It resulted in a greatly increased awareness of this issue."
The Tampa Junior League has been working to improve the lives of children in foster care for nearly 10 years, and other chapters are hoping to replicate the depth and breadth of their involvement. Children in foster care and youth who are aging out of foster care are one of their three main areas of focus.
The Tampa chapter's foster care efforts began with the assembly and provision of Love Bundles—backpacks of emergency supplies for children who are suddenly taken from their homes. During the past two years, the Tampa chapter also has taken on youth aging out of foster care and has been an important partner of Connected by 25 and the primary leader for Junior League partnerships across the state. They have assembled 220 "move-in" kits for youth who are leaving foster care to live on their own in an apartment. They are now expanding their efforts to include older youth who have lived on their own for several years but still need daily living supplies.
The Tampa chapter hosts foster care sibling events every spring and fall. The events bring together older youth who have aged out of foster care and their younger siblings who are still placed with foster families.
Other activities of the Tampa chapter include: a yearly Education Summit at Busch Gardens in the spring, when 13- to 17-year-old foster children spend several hours learning important life skills—such as opening a bank account, balancing a checkbook, good nutrition and eating well on a budget, and job interview skills—listen to motivational speakers, and then go out to enjoy the park entertainment.
Some Junior League chapters are just beginning their work with foster care and youth who are aging out. Last year the Clearwater/Dunedin Junior League chose to focus their resources on foster care families for the next three to five years. One of their first steps was to sponsor a Foster Summit in February 2008. At the Summit, children's agencies and other stakeholders identified the gaps that exist for children in foster care and those who are aging out. "We want to make a difference in the lives of children and families, and we think we can be the organization that fills the gaps," says Felicia Leonard, president of the Clearwater/Dunedin chapter. "For example, we have recently purchased 500 bus passes for foster care youth."
The Clearwater/Dunedin chapter is undertaking both short- and long-term projects. They recently helped a local group organize and distribute 800 backpacks with school supplies for foster care children and sponsored an ice skating party for foster care youth and their families.
This past spring, the South Brevard County Junior League voted to work with Connected by 25 from 2009 through 2012, as their signature project. They have sponsored three foster and adoptive parent recruiting events, and are involved in recruiting mentors for children in group foster care homes. They also have committed to providing move-in kits for every foster care 18-year-old, including basic apartment supplies such as linens, towels, small appliances, dishes, utensils and more.
Julia Irvin, a past president of the South Brevard chapter, has been a volunteer for many years in working with youth aging out of foster care. She is excited about the potential impact of the Junior League’s increasing involvement. "The Junior League voted to work on this. By far it was the number one issue that members were interested in," she says. "It looks like a problem that can be solved, and it touches the League members' hearts. The Junior League has an army of volunteers, and it feels like we can do something significant. We are so hopeful that we can do the right thing by these kids."
In St. Petersburg this year, the Junior League collected school supplies and backpacks for youth who are aging out and getting ready for college or technical training courses. The chapter also continued to expand their Care Fair, and distributed more than 2000 backpacks filled with school supplies, to children from needy and foster care families. The fair offers free medical screenings, immunizations, dental and vision check-ups.
The Junior League in Florida—and across the country—is dedicated to responding to the needs of the community and making a difference in the lives of children and families. With hundreds of volunteers, and a long-term commitment by its members to give of their time, talents and treasure, the Junior League is determined to make life better for many of Florida’s most vulnerable children and youth.
