3681 NW 59 PlaceCoconut Creek, FL 33073

954-420-5030www.sosflorida.com

Healing, Hope and Home for Every ChildWelcome Home!

• Volunteer • Host a project or activity

with our family• Give a gift • Change a child’s future

Return this card and discover the difference you can make in the life of a child.

SOS CHILDREN’SVILLAGESFLORIDA

Our mission is to provide a nurturing environment that empowers children, youth and families to achieve their potential.

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JOIN OUR FAMILY TODAY!

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Our Village is a wondrous place, offering our boys and girls the promise of healing, hope and home.

• Caring SOS staff live with the children, nurturing them as they heal and grow.

• Brothers and sisters, both biological and foster, become a family.

• Each SOS house assures every child a safe place to call home.

• The SOS Village provides a full spectrum of on-site support services for our children’s needs including tutoring, therapy and life skills classes.

• The SOS family continues beyond the Village as our alumni turn to us for support throughout their lives.

Everything we do helps our children heal from their traumatic pasts, become stronger and more independent and develop the skills and tools to become successful adults.

On a cul-de-sac in the heart of Coconut Creek is a neighborhood like no other. A place where foster children come to live and grow with the nurturing and stability every child deserves. That neighborhood is SOS Children’s Villages - Florida.

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Return this completed card or call 954-420-5030 to become a part of the SOS Children’s Village family!

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Return to:Attn: Development DepartmentSOS Children’s Villages - Florida3681 NW 59 PlaceCoconut Creek, FL 33073

A Place to Call Home

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Wanda and her two sisters were the first children to call SOS home. Thanks to our care and support, today she is a mother of three, teaches middle school, runs her own business and recently earned her Masters Degree.

Wanda

Since our Village opened in 1993, we have helped raise more than 350 children. Our oldest Alumni are just beginning to do great things thanks to the support, generosity and encouragement of their SOS family and our friends and neighbors.

SOS Stories

Freddie Freddie grew up at SOS with two sisters. It is here that he discovered a sense of family and responsibility. In 2010, at age 21, he became a foster parent to his 4-year-old nephew and is currently following his dreams in the police academy.

Natasha Natasha was inspired by the many friends and neighbors who supported her while growing up at SOS. Her lifelong goal is to help others in need. She earned her Masters Degree in Public Health in 2011 and is helping families in need.

3681 NW 59 Place Coconut Creek, FL 33073 954-420-5030 www.sosflorida.com

Developing RelationshipsSOS Florida is focused on family and the well-being of each of our boys and girls. Reuniting siblings separated in foster care cements their sense of biological family. Encouraging a strong sense of family and stability in each of our homes and the camaraderie of a neighborhood of foster children strengthens their relationships. And finally, SOS programs like therapy, mentoring and activities are all designed to encourage and build social skills. Each gives our

kids a better sense of self and a better chance to build positive relationships throughout their lives.

Academic & Personal ExcellenceOn average, less than 54% of foster children graduate from high school across the nation and, sadly, youth in group homes are two and half times more likely to enter the juvenile justice system. Achieving personal and academic excellence is at the core of every SOS program. Tutoring, therapy, and our behavioral step system are adapted for each child and work together to set a series of small achievable goals that lay the ground work for a successful life.

Building Life SkillsYouth in foster care can often miss out on real life opportunities and basic life skills like chores, food preparation and household management. Not so at SOS. Our homes function just as yours does. Daily chores built into our behavior system and our independent living programs provide structure to our children’s daily lives and teaches them responsibility, social skills and vital life skills from housekeeping and personal care to finances and job skills.

Achieving Success After CareFoster children aging out of the system is a key concern today. Skyrocketing rates of homelessness, incarceration and lifetime dependency on welfare of these young adults prompted SOS to become the first and still one of the few foster care providers with their own After Care program designed to support alumni throughout their lives. Two case managers provide the 24/7 support to more than 55 of our alumni - ensuring they have a place to live, pursue

further education, find jobs, successfully care for their own families.

SOS Children’s Villages - Florida promises every foster child a place of healing, hope and home. Your support provides the resources we need to fulfill this promise with warm, caring homes and an array of vital services to help our boys and girls thrive.

Welcome To the Village

SupportKids Success # Residents: 75

Age

44% Black 34% White

22% Hispanic

56% Female 44% Male

84% of our alumni have graduated high school

47% go to college or trade school

42% SOS alumni are in the local workforce

Many first generation SOS Kids are starting to build families of their own

Cost Per Child: $160 per day

Provides: • 24 Hour Supervision & Care• Food, Clothing and Shelter• Tutoring & Life Skills• Case Management, Therapy

and Medical Services• Childhood Activities

State of Florida Funds: $80 per day In the past 4 years, 100% of ourkids aging out earned their diploma

SOS ServicesMental Health TherapyWeekly individual and small group therapy sessions help children deal with their abusive pasts and look ahead. Goal: Help our children move beyond their early childhood trauma.

Step-SystemA program designed to teach appropriate behaviors that will improve our children’s social skills and school performance while improving self-esteem. Goal: Help children to learn and practice appropriate behavior among adults, peers, in school, on the job and in social situations.

Medical ServicesServices overseen by an on-site nurse who monitors the medical needs of our children, including prescriptions, medical and dental appointments and emergency first aid.Goal: Address our children’s immediate medical needs and issues, while equipping them with knowledge they need for a successful future.

TutoringEach of our boys and girls receive up to two hours of tutoring per week to improve reading, math and educational skills. Goal: Empower children to perform better in school and on achievement tests, greatly impacting their earning potential as adults.

Children’s ActivitiesEach child is encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as drama, cheerleading, football, tennis, karate, and other activities.Goal: Help our boys and girls to integrate and socialize with non-foster children and develop their personal skills outside of the classroom.

Independent Living Skills ProgramSOS youth, ages 13 and older, learn valuable life and job skills such as cooking, resume writing, and interviewing through a series of hands-on classes, individual counseling, and job experience. Goal: Prepare our children for the time when they will transition out of the Village into the community upon emancipation from the foster care system.

After Care ProgramSOS Alumni who have turned 18 and are living independently in the community continue to turn to SOS for counseling, job, school and housing referral services, and emergency financial assistance. Goal: Help former foster youth live independent of the supportive care they have relied upon until now.

FAQWhat is SOS Children’s Village - Florida? SOS is a foster care neighborhood in Coconut Creek. Our tree-lined street has twelve homes, housing up to eighty-five

foster children.

What does SOS stand for? SOS is the internationally recognized call sign for help.

How long has SOS existed? SOS was founded in 1949 in Imst, Austria to respond to the needs of children left orphaned or abandoned after World War

II. Since then, more than 500 Villages have opened throughout the world. In 1993, SOS – Florida was the first Village to open its doors in the U.S. after Broward County Family Court Judge Estella Moriarty became determined to create a better home for the foster children who came through her courtroom.

How is SOS unique from other foster care organizations? The Village allows brothers and sisters, who are typically separated while in foster care, to reunite and maintain their family

connection. SOS also provides services to help our young adults transition out of foster care after they turn eighteen.

How is SOS funded? SOS receives a daily stipend from the State of Florida for every child under its care. This money amounts to approximately

50% of the organization’s annual budget. The remainder of our budget comes through fundraising events, donations, grants, and corporate gifts.

How do the children come to SOS? ChildNet, the agency that manages local child welfare on behalf of the Florida Department of Children and Families,

places children at SOS. ChildNet has an extensive system to evaluate each child’s needs and determine their best foster placement.

How can we adopt a child? SOS is a foster home providing care and stability for children while they are awaiting reunification with family or adoption.

ChildNet handles all adoptions. To find out how you can adopt a child contact the ChildNet office at 954-414-6000.

How long do children stay at SOS? The current foster care system strives to ensure that “no child grows up in foster care.” For this reason, the average stay at

SOS is approximately two years. During this time, ChildNet is working on a plan to reunify children with their parents after any issues are resolved or find an adoptive home.

Do your children go to local schools? Yes. The Village is designed to give our boys and girls the opportunity to be just like their peers.

What happens when the children turn 18? SOS is the first organization in Broward to offer services to our young adults transitioning out of foster care and living on their own for the first time. Because of these services, our alumni continue to have a family to turn to in times of crisis and a home to visit no matter how old they are.

How can I help? SOS relies upon the compassion and generosity of our neighbors to provide quality services that help our children heal and reach their full potential. You can help by becoming a mentor, volunteering, hosting an SOS event or charity drive or making a donation.