USF's Florida Kinship Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary [09/04/2008]

On September 4, 2008, the USF School of Social Work’s Florida Kinship Center celebrated ten years of community service contributions to Florida's kinship children and families.  Caregivers who are dedicated to raising future generations travelled from as far as Jacksonville and Miami to attend workshops and seminars which were offered throughout the day, and to celebrate the many accomplishments of the center. 

Dr. Anne Strozier, one of the two original founders, was presented with a plaque for her conception of and dedication to the Florida Kinship Center, which has grown from an idea to a statewide resource center, and is now becoming a national platform for kinship care. 

Dr. Susan Stepleton, president and CEO of the national organization “Parents As Teachers,” presented the “Losos Prize for Excellence,” a national award for leadership, to Danielle Klendworth, the program coordinator for the center’s Kin as Teachers (KAT) program.  Stepleton explained that the criteria for the award was based on engaging the community, empowering the care givers, and using scientifically based curricula with very specific objectives.  Klendworth’s work at the Kinship Center  had impressed reviewers from Yale and Harvard, and Stepleton said she will amend the national organization to reflect kinship providers.  Klendworth thanked the staff of the Florida Kinship Center for listening to all her “crazy ideas,” and said “I love the work I am able to do!” 

Guest speakers included State Representatives Betty Reed and Nick Thompson, who updated kinship caregivers on legislative bills that were passed by the House, but delayed in the Senate due to budget deliberations.   Rep. Betty Reed sponsored HB 907, Concurrent Custody of a Minor Child, which would authorize extended family caregivers to petition the court for concurrent custody in order to obtain legal authority and documentation to provide for complete care of the children placed in their physical custody. The bill would also authorize the court to redirect child support payments to that family member.   

Rep. Nick Thompson became involved through tragedy that befell a three year old.  He sponsored HB 1271, Give Grandparents & Other Relatives a Voice Act, which would require courts to notify relative caregivers about any court hearings related to the family members they are caring for, and would give doctors and investigators complete and timely information.  He named the bill for Zahid Jones, Jr., who died because no such law currently exists.  Both Representatives were committed to seeing their bills passed in 2009.  

The keynote speaker was Dr. Ted Williams, who simultaneously holds three prestigious positions at USF.  Dr. Williams accredited his amazing grandmother for inspiring his hardwork, persistence and dedication to excellence in education and equal opportunity.  

The Florida Kinship Center provides services for grandparents and other relatives who are currently raising more than 350,000 children in Florida when parents are unable to do so.  The Kinship Center’s “Warmline” and Legal Hotline offer a human connection to personal support, information and legal assistance. The center provides social workers to conduct home visits, developmental screenings, tutoring, mentoring, and group meetings for kinship families in Hillsborough County.  Services include emotional support, education, information and referral, advocacy, training and research. 

“Some of the children raised by relatives were born of drug addicted mothers and suffer the consequences of that drug addiction,” said Strozier.  KAT, adapted from the Parents as Teachers Program (PAT), assesses vulnerable children in kinship families, many of whom suffer from learning disorders, poor academic performance, low self-esteem, depression and behavior problems, and provides appropriate educational and support services before the children enter the school system.  Home and school-based education programs are available for pre-schoolers, elementary school aged children and their caretakers, which includes tutoring, mentoring, case management and counseling. 

For additional information about the Florida Kinship Center or any of its services, please call: (800) 640-6444 or (813) 974-1328 or visit http://www.flkin.org.