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News & Events |
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Attention LifeShare Licensed Families
Effective July 1st, 2010, LifeShare will no longer be offering traditional foster care services in Hillsborough County. They will continue to focus on their therapeutic foster care program, which is an area of great need for this community. In partnership with Hillsborough Kids, LifeShare will work to ensure a seamless transition to a similar licensing agency. And they will provide ongoing support and transition planning for each family served. Hillsborough Kids is committed to supporting families during this process. Please call 643-KIDS if you have any questions. All families currently licensed with LifeShare are invited to attend a Meet and Greet event on:
Monday May 24th, 2010 During the event, you will have the opportunity to speak with all Hillsborough Kids Inc. licensing agencies and receive detailed information regarding what programs each agency offers. You will also have the opportunity to discuss the transfer process and select the licensing agency you would like to work with. Fox News 13 Interviews Jeff Rainey and the West Family on Their Recent Adoption Success Aundre and Connie West adopted two brothers after caring for them as foster parents for several years. FOX News highlights the impact of adoption on these two teens and the success that HKI has had in finding forever homes for 441 children this past year. 
Read story and view video Hillsborough County leads state in Adoptions Governor Crist announced that Floridians provided forever homes for 3,674 children by adopting children, teens and siblings from foster care, exceeding last year’s record year. From the state’s 22 Community Based Care organizations, Hillsborough Kids, Inc. led the state with 442 adoptions for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. Read the full story Fox News 13 Interviews Donna Krauser regarding economy's impact on Foster Care The economy has impacted everything, even the foster care system. Local foster care agencies are eager to find loving families for thousands of children waiting for homes. 
Read story at MyFox Tampa Bay Foster News
Adoption News Hillsborough Kids finalized a record 422 children for adoption in fiscal year ending July 2008. This raises the total of nearly 1,200 children adopted in Hillsborough County over the past three years. Hillsborough Kids had more children adopted than any of the 21 Community Based Care organizations in Florida.
With sharp drops in state revenue forecast for the near future, prominent Florida groups have organized a broad-based initiative calling for a fresh approach and bold leadership from Florida legislators and legislative candidates. Backed by groups representing seniors, children and all taxpayers in between, the Florida’s People – Florida’s Promise town hall meeting held on September 24, 2008 at the Children’s Board provided a chance for residents concerned about impacts of drastic budget cuts on vital social services to make their voices heard. The public forums held in key regions across the state encouraged elected leaders and legislative candidates to find new solutions to the state’s long-term budgetary challenges. You can join more than 11,000 citizens who have already signed the group’s “Declaration of Inter-dependence” at www.floridaspeople.org.
Hillsborough Kids, Inc. was the recipient of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's '2007 Angel in Adoption' award. This national award recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of permanent loving homes. This award is considered one of the most prestigious awards given to child advocates. Senator Mel Martinez and the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA nominated HKI for the prestigious award for its leadership in the areas of adoption and foster care placements. Over 1,143 children have been adopted through HKI since its inception five years ago, with 377 children in permanent homes through adoption this past year alone. Senator Martinez, a former foster child, commended HKI's strategic approach to address the need for adoptive and foster parents through partnerships with Camelot Community Care, the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, The Junior League of Tampa, the Tampa YMCA, and the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.
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Hillsborough Kids volunteers paint and clean the home of veteran foster mom Diane Young. Good will and elbow grease bring a new glow to a house that has served as a home to over 200 foster children!  |
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