Children's Needs Program
Our Children’s Needs Fund provides items and experiences for children in the dependency court system because every child deserves the chance to feel like a kid. We make sure they have new clothes, personal items, a present on their birthday, a comfortable bed to sleep in, school supplies, the ability to take a karate class, or a chance to spend a summer at camp. Our goal at Voices for Children is to improve the life of a child in foster care. Because of your support, Voices for Children has the ability to provide them with solace and encouragement, knowing that someone cares enough to help them.
Courthouse Facility Dog Program
We are incredibly proud to have Florida’s FIRST Courthouse Facility Dog Program. This program’s primary goal is to provide emotional support for traumatized children during stressful and difficult situations so they can find their voice and share their stories. Our facility dogs, Lorne and Barley, assisted children in courtroom testimony, forensic interviews, depositions, and medical exams. Their presence is crucial to help calm our children when they are experiencing these very scary situations. We want to continue to provide the safest and highest level of care to the vulnerable child victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect. Every child who spends time with them feels the unconditional love they give when needed most!
Tampa Bay Lightning 2024 Community Heroes
Lorne and his handler, Dayle, were named Community Heroes by Lightning for their amazing work with foster kids.
Please help support our facility dogs' care.
Follow Lorne and Barley on social media:
VFC Saunders Necessities Closet
The Voices for Children Saunders Necessities Closet provides essential clothing and hygiene items for foster children entering care. Guardian Ad Litem Case Managers and Advocates can quickly access necessities like clothing, jackets, pajamas, underwear, socks, shoes, and personal hygiene items to support these vulnerable children. Generously funded by The Saunders Foundation, the growing need surpasses available funding each year.
You can help by donating new clothing through our wishlists or contributing financially so we can purchase needed items.
Braces for Kids Program
Our Braces for Kids program provides orthodontic care to children in the court dependency system, ages 7 to 15, who's parent's parental rights have been terminated, and may not otherwise receive treatment. By giving these foster children the opportunity for a healthy, confident smile, the program not only improves their dental health but also boosts their self-esteem and overall well-being.
"Thank you for making this happen. I'm also really glad that you guys are taking a chance on me. I'm really grateful and really excited to see the end results of this experience of braces. Thank you all again." - Chris, Braces for Kids recipient
The Diaper Program
Since 2018, our Diaper Program, through the generous support of The Junior League of Tampa's Diaper Bank, provides diaper kits that include diapers, wipes and cream. The kits are provided year around to the smallest of children entering care, helping hundreds of babies each year. Together, we're making a lasting difference in the lives of foster kids!
Legal Needs
Our Legal Needs Program provides the funding to help successfully advocate for a child in court. Children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent home, and decisions regarding permanency should be based on what is in the child's best interest. If it is determined that additional legal action is needed, someone must assume the litigation expenses, and that is where our Legal Needs Fund comes in. Through our Legal Needs Program, we provide unique support by providing critical funding to help our kids find a safe and permanent home faster.
SWAT Team
This program was developed to ensure each hospitalized child who has been sheltered due to abuse and/or neglect or was born substance-exposed is visited within 24 hours of being admitted. The volunteers then provide support through daily visits, obtaining court orders for medical procedures, reporting clinical status back to the judge, and providing essential, necessary items (clothing, blankets, stuffed animals, sound machines, walkers, medical equipment, etc.) until the child is discharged and a permanent advocate is assigned. While these children are in hospital placement, they do not have foster parents or any family visiting or providing much-needed items. About 80% of the children seen are substance-exposed newborns placed in the NICU. The other 20% is comprised of egregious abuse cases (fractures, trauma, burns, etc) and medical neglect cases.
