United for Families serves all known abused and neglected children living in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.  When you contribute to United for Families, either financially or with your time, you bring us one step closer to realizing our mission:  To break the cycle of child abuse through a diverse network of community providers and innovative services.

WE ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER NOT FOR PROFIT AGENCY

Many things are happening at United for Families. Your donations will help us in our mission to break the cycle of child abuse. For example, contributions to United for Families help us develop programs that get children home sooner and strengthen families. Some of these programs include:

• Family Group Decision Making. This program puts the family in the driver's seat by allowing members to create their own safety plan. The national program has successfully reduced the number of children entering foster care, in some parts of the country by 40 percent.
  
  
• Foster Parent Mentor Program. United for Families doesn't have enough homes for the number of children in the foster-care system. This program provides peer mentoring to new and existing foster parents to reduce the number of times children move from home to home.
  
  
• The Relatives As Parents Program. This program helps keep children out of foster care by providing supports to kinship caregivers. It was piloted in Martin County in 2006 and already is showing results.
  
  
• Summer Camp. Children in foster care need to live as normal a life as their peers living at home. For this reason, United for Families fund-raises to ensure summer camp opportunities to children in the out-of-home care system.
  
  
• Loaner Program. United for Families loans child safety seats, cribs and other essential equipment to foster families. We began this program in 2006 to make it easier to place children in foster homes.
  
  
• Back-to-School. United for Families helps send children back to school with the same backpacks and school supplies other children have.
  
  
• Ounce of Prevention Fund. We accept donations to pay for the extra-curricular activities of children in foster care and relative care. Donations help pay for graduation expenses, trips to Disney World and dance classâ all expenses that become overwhelming to caregivers providing for multiple children.
  
  
• Caregiver Appreciation. United for Families treats its caregivers to an annual night on the town. We do this to say "thank you" to people who sacrifice their daily lives to care for abused and neglected children. In 2006, we provided a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker and an evening of fine dining and dancing at a local country club.
  
  
• Stop the Tears Campaign. United for Families is committed to increasing public awareness of the epidemic of abuse by offering training opportunities with national experts. We offer quarterly trainings to the community as well as to our own case managers.
  
  
• Case Manager of the Year Award. This is one of the many ways that United for Families is trying to decrease employee turn-over and provide greater stability for children in care. A case manager is recognized each quarter and presented with a basket of goodies, including a cash award and two tickets to United for families annual gala. At the end of the year, the Case Manager of the Year is recognized.
  
  
• Independent Living Program United for Families provides vocational training and teaches basic living skillsto teen-agers in the foster-care system. We do this to prepare teen-agers for life outside the foster-care system and to increase their chances for a successful adulthood. Foster children are at risk for early pregnancy, homelessness and crime. In fact, 80 percent of inmates in the nation's prisons have spent some time in foster care.

How Can I Help?

United for Families offers many opportunities throughout our four-county area for individuals who want to help break the cycle of child abuse and improve the quality of life for children living in our system of care.

• Become a foster parent.
• Organize a drive at your church or school. We need clothing, diapers and toiletries.
• Donate unused baby equipment such as cribs.
• Organize a community fund-raiser to benefit one of our many initiatives and programs.
• Volunteer to help us man booths at local events.
• Form a guild or service group to benefit United for Families.
• Coordinate a holiday party for children in foster care.
• If you own a business, participate in our business directory and offer discounts to foster families.
• Participate in any of our many special events.
• Organize a new book drive. We give new books to children on their birthdays.
• Contribute financially.

United for Families
10570 S. Federal Highway, Suite 300
Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952
(772) 398-2925 Fax (772)398-2925
www.unitedforfamilies.org