Grants to Safe Children Coalition support various programs for children and families

Child welfare organization Safe Children Coalition (SCC) recently received generous financial support from five granting organizations, totaling $38,000. The funders and programs to be supported are: Selfless Love Foundation, $21,000 (Adoption Program); Church of the Redeemer, $7,000 (Foster Care Program); Venice Golf & Country Club, $5,000 (Schoolhouse Link); Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, $3,000 (Prevention and Diversion Program); and the Michael Saunders & Company Foundation, $2,000 (Schoolhouse Link).

In fiscal year 2025, there were nearly 1,700 children of all ages in Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties) who were not able to safely remain in their homes. SCC's primary goal is always to reunify families once it’s deemed safe and healthy for the child(ren) to return home. In cases where it has been decided that it is not safe for the child(ren) to return home to their birth families, permanent adoptive homes are needed. In FY25, 171 children – from infants to teens – found their forever homes through SCC’s Adoption Program.

For many of the nearly 1,700 children in FY25 who were removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or other dangers, temporary shelter is provided through licensed foster care homes and other out of home care placements (such as with relatives or close family friends). Foster parents provide children with stability and a place to heal until they can safely return to their parents. In FY25, 1,686 children of all ages were provided with safe, stable, temporary housing through foster and out of home care placements. The grant from Church of the Redeemer will provide financial support for families for babysitting, household goods and car seats, and small home repairs.

There are many different scenarios for students who do not have a stable home, including older teens or young adults who are fending for themselves on the streets. For homeless families or displaced teens who are on their own, SCC’s Schoolhouse Link program serves as protector, support system, and advocate. Schoolhouse Link is contracted by the Sarasota County School Board, serving as the school district’s “Homeless Education Liaison.” The Schoolhouse Link program serves nearly 800 teen and young adult homeless students annually.

The grant from Venice Golf & Country Club will support a housing subsidy for a homeless student. The grant from the MSC Foundation will help to supply food, emergency school supplies, and clothing for homeless families and youths actively participating in the Schoolhouse Link program.

The Prevention and Diversion Program offers services across a variety of programs, such as Youth Prevention Services, Youth Intervention Services, Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT) and more focused on keeping children safely and securely with their families. The grant from the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund will enable SCC’s prevention programs to provide approximately 165 youths in the Lakewood Ranch community with personalized “Coping Kits,” consisting of journals, fidget toys, stress balls, calming sensory tools, and more. By providing these kits, SCC aims to improve emotional well-being, reduce anxiety and depression symptoms, and help youth manage stress.

“We are so grateful to the funders who believe in our work and share our vision to make the lives of children and families safer through our Foster Care, Adoption, and Prevention and Diversion programs,” said Safe Children Coalition president & CEO, Brena Slater. “With the support of these funders and generous individuals throughout the community, we remain committed to walking alongside children and families and guiding them with compassion and care.”

For more about Safe Children Coalition, visit sccfl.org.

About Safe Children Coalition, Inc.
Safe Children Coalition, Inc. (SCC) serves as the lead agency for community-based care for Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. SCC is a collaboration between local community agencies who provide services to children and families in need. SCC is committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building community. The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management, and support services. Visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.