PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A South Florida emergency shelter serving children entering foster care received a major makeover thanks to the efforts of community volunteers determined to make a difficult transition a little easier.
ChildNet and local partners recently unveiled renovations to one of the organization’s emergency placement homes, a space used to house children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment while they await a more permanent placement.
The renovated home primarily serves teenagers and children with complex needs who often face longer waits for foster placements.
“Typically teenagers, and typically kids with really complex needs and challenges, that we have real difficulty finding an appropriate placement for,” said Larry Rein with ChildNet.
Volunteers from Leadership Broward spearheaded the project, transforming the space with fresh paint, cleaned floors, updated furnishings, and a brighter design intended to make children feel more comfortable during an uncertain time.
“They all have one thing in common, I noticed, and that’s that they shouldn’t be here, but they are,” said Christina Bhim of Leadership Broward. “It’s a blessing that those children do have a place like this to come to in an emergency situation.”
A South Florida emergency shelter serving children entering foster care received a major makeover thanks to the efforts of community volunteers determined to make a difficult transition a little easier. (ForeverFamily)
Bhim said volunteers wanted to create an environment that felt welcoming rather than institutional.
“We painted all of the walls, the doors, we sanded the doors, we had the floors cleaned, we had the entire home cleaned,” she said. “We put a design together, colors, we wanted it to feel bright, be a place that you wanted to come to so that it felt maybe more like an adventure than a place you had to be. Maybe it’s a place you want to be, at least for a little while.”
The renovation effort extended beyond cosmetic improvements.
Community groups helped purchase items from a shelter wish list, while students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School organized a book drive that filled the home’s shelves.
A South Florida emergency shelter serving children entering foster care received a major makeover thanks to the efforts of community volunteers determined to make a difficult transition a little easier. (ForeverFamily)
According to Bhim, members of J.M. Family Enterprises’ Rising Leaders Group organized the donation campaign and purchased every item on the shelter’s wish list within a day.
The donations included books, storage units, and recreational items such as a new air hockey table.
“This team, I’ve got staff crying over how amazing the work that they’ve done,” Rein said.
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Child welfare advocates say community support plays a critical role in helping children navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
For more information about helping children in foster care or to read additional Forever Family stories, visit ForeverFamily.org. The Forever Family franchise in partnership with CBS12 News, ChildNet and The Boca Raton.
Kogan & DiSalvo Personal Injury Law sponsored our Forever Families of the week.