We advocate for and support children, young adults, and families
impacted by abuse and neglect in Pinellas and Pasco Counties by collaborating
with community partners and the Guardian ad Litem staff and volunteers who support the children we serve.

We envision a community where every child and young adult is safe, secure and thriving. We believe every child deserves to have a permanent family and be well prepared for their future beyond foster care.
January 2020
From the Executive Director
Dear Supporters,

We cannot thank you enough for helping our children heal in 2019! Because of you, we were able to fulfill more requests than ever before. We can’t wait to share our full 2019 impact report with you next month through a special mailing. (If you aren’t sure you receive information from us, please click here to add yourself to our mailing list). 
 
The Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay continues to look for new ways to help our children thrive while in care and beyond. Each year, the challenges continue to grow as more and more children come into care. Did you know that Pinellas County now surpasses Miami-Dade County for the number of children in care? Or that children on average are moving 6.8 times per 1,000 days in our circuit (up from just 3.5 moves/1,000 days less than 3 years ago) or that the state is considering a proposal to move children in our Circuit to South Florida ?
 
We know that children heal best when they maintain community connections and whenever possible can be placed with known caregivers and/or their siblings. To that end, this year we will be launching Kids Days Out   to provide overtaxed caregivers a little respite on the weekends. We are also in the process of creating "Helping Hands" a program to provide assistance to caregivers who have a project that may be needed to keep a child in a home . Applications for this new program will begin in mid February --keep an eye out on social media for more information! And for Volunteer Child Advocates with teens, we hope you will look out for our Financial Literacy program scheduled this year during spring break, as well.

We also know that Volunteer Child Advocates need time to gather with others to decompress and for camaraderie. We plan to bring back Volunteer Happy Hours in 2020 and hope to see you and a friend at one of the upcoming events in March , June or September . If you have ideas about how we can better support you or the youth you serve, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact Amy at  [email protected]  with ideas o r call anytime at 727-464-6528. We cannot do it without you and we are so thankful for each of you who helped meet the growing needs in 2019!

We appreciate all you do,

Amy E. Foster
Executive Director
UPCOMING EVENTS
Heart to Heart Quarter Auction
Saturday, Feb 1; 1 - 4 PM
First United Methodist Church
13123 US Hwy 19, Hudson
First United Methodist Church of Hudson supports our children all year long and this unique fundraiser helps them help our kids! Don't miss this fun afternoon featuring great auction items for bids of a quarter & up. For more information contact B.J. at 727-860-4709. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the church office or at the door.
Kids Day Out
Saturday Feb. 29; 10 AM -1 PM
St. Michael Old Catholic Church 2680 Bayshore Blvd, Dunedin
In partnership with Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin, we will be hosting a FREE Pajama-Themed "Kids Day Out!" We will provide a variety of things for kids to do like watching a movie, play board games, story time and eat pizza!" This event is full, but if you would like to add your child/ren to the waiting list, please email Amanda . For more details click here .
In Service: Programs & Services of Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay
Wednesday, Feb. 19; 4 - 6 PM
Board of County Commissioners
8731 Citizens Drive, NPR
Did you know we support incentives for positive changes in behavior or grades? Learn about the programs and services of the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay. We will discuss how to place requests directly to the Foundation to ensure your children's unmet needs are satisfied. You will learn where to go to get more information, how to fill out the forms, and what information you need to get started. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions and answers. This workshop is eligible for in-service credit. Register here .
Bingo For Charity
Wednesday, April 22; 7:30 -10 PM
Hamburger Mary's
28910 US Hwy 19N, Clearwater
Come join us at Hamburger Mary's to eat, drink and be Mary...while raising funds to support children's needs in foster care! Bingo is $10 for 10 games and we will have great prizes. We will also have a 50/50 raffle -- so bring some cash and be ready for a super fun time! Reservations should be made in advance by calling 727-400-6996!
Savory & Sweet
Friday, May 1; 7:00 -10:00 PM
The Event Center 8718 Trouble Creek Rd, New Port Richey
Join us for a fun filled evening and delight in the gourmet tastes from many amazing restaurants. Hear inspiring stories from families involved in the Guardian ad Litem Program. Help lift up the voice of a child—learn more about the work volunteer advocates do every day to protect abused, abandoned or neglected children in Pasco County. Volunteers are needed to help secure restaurants and plan the even t. Contact Amanda for more information. Tickets are $29/ person and include drinks, tastes music and entertainment. Sponsorships are also available; please contact   Amy for more information. Purchase tickets  here .
RESOURCES
Pinellas GAL Closet
Our closet at our SPC EpiCenter location is filled with lots of great items for your kiddos. We have clothing, toiletries (including hair and skin products for black and bi/multi-racial children), toys, birthday bags, birthday parties in a bag, tons of diapers and more! Next time you are looking for something for your GAL child/teen come check it out. The closet is located at 13805 58th St. N, Suite 2-200. If you are in Pasco and would like to see if we have an item you may need/want, please contact Amanda for more information. We are always able to have items delivered between offices.

Continuing Education Opportunity
Making the Difference: Preventing Youth Suicide
Children and teens in foster care have experienced trauma and risk factors that make them more likely to think about, attempt and die by suicide.They are two and a half times more likely to have seriously considered suicide and almost four times more likely to have attempted suicide than other youth. This webinar will teach you how to identify warning signs and how to help children and teens in crisis. Check out this webinar on the "I Am For The Child Academy" here .
OPPORTUNITIES
TO SERVE
The Program Support Committee (formerly the Children's Needs Committee)
We are looking for several people from East and West Pasco to join in their efforts to support the needs of CAMs and VCAs. Committee members will get the word out about the Foundation's resources and how to obtain them. One committee member will attend scheduled Brown Bag Lunches and In-Service trainings. The committee is also looking for a volunteer to monitor all of the resource closets so that we can ensure wanted and necessary supplies are available. Please contact Co-Chairs Mary Jones or Fran Scerbo to volunteer or request more information.
Help plan our First Annual Beach Bash!!
The Guardian Ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay is planning an end of school summer beach bash and we NEED YOUR HELP . This will be a fun event that will be held to congratulate our kids for successfully ending another school year. If you or someone you know is interested in assisting to plan this event please email Amanda Ruiz.
Holiday Wrap Up!
Holiday Gift Thank You Notes
Did you receive gifts for your GAL child this holiday season? If you received a thank you card from your child/parent, please send it or a copy of it on to us! Each year, we send these thank you notes in a compilation to our holiday donors so that they can see that their gift made a difference- click here for 2018's thank you . You can send thank you notes to us via mail to Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay 14250 49th St. N, Suite 4000 Clearwater, FL 33762 or via email to [email protected].
Thank you to all the VOLUNTEERS and DONORS who made magic for more than 1500 children and teens this past season! Each year our holiday gift drive becomes bigger and bigger and we truly couldn't do it without your help!!
CHAMPIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN
Thank you to Pinellas Community Foundation for their $10,000 investment in our racial equity work. We are committed to making sure that children of color have Volunteer Child Advocates that understand their particular needs and that they have a home that will provide appropriate care, support and nurturing to ensure more positive outcomes. If you are interested in helping us in this very important work, please reach out to us for more information.
Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay | 727.464.6528 | Website
14250 49th St, Suite 4000 Clearwater, FL 33712