Focus On… - Bay County Online

September 2014
Inside this issue:
Focus On..........
, Issue
Focus On…
1
County Manager’s Corner 3
4
In The Spotlight
Volume
Fiscal year 2014 has been a very active year for the Bay County Solid Waste Division. So far this
fiscal year the Solid Waste Division has processed over 98,481 tons of material through the Wasteto-Energy Facility and landfilled an additional 89,971 tons of material. In addition to our normal
solid waste disposal operations, the Solid Waste Division has been involved in several other projects.
The following is a snap shot of some of these.
Library
5
Birthdays/Anniversaries
6
Risky Business
7
Bay County Shooting Park
Parks & Recreation
10
Around Bay County
11
EMS
12
Fire Services
13
Bay County is constructing a public shooting range at the Southeast corner of the Steelfield Road
landfill. The shooting range is a joint project between Bay County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Commission (FWC). The shooting range is being built in-house. FWC is committed to the continual
operation of the facility and investing in approximately $200,000 of equipment needed for the
sporting clays, trap and skeet fields. In addition, the National Rifle Association contributed $25,000
to the FWC for the planning and design of the shooting range.
Cooperative Extension
14
Florida Kid Care
15
Construction of the range is a joint effort between the Solid Waste, Parks & Recreation, Roads &
Bridges, and Engineering Divisions. The project broke ground on March 19, 2014. It is being constructed in two phases and will ultimately consist of a total of 119 acres.
Phase 1 of the range will include parking, stormwater management, a 100-yard small bore rifle
range, 50/25- yard small bore rifle ranges, 50-foot pistol range and trap & skeet fields. It will
also include construction of a combination office/training room, restrooms and maintenance building.
Phase 2 of the project includes a 15-position sporting clay course and 90-meter archery range.
Mike Nelson
District I
George B. Gainer
District II
William T. Dozier
District III
Guy M. Tunnell
District IV
Mike Thomas
District V
Commission Meetings
Sept. 2, 2014
Sept. 16, 2014
9:00 a.m.
Bay County
Government Center
Page 2
Bay County Currents
Bay County Spring Amnesty Event
Every year, Bay County Solid Waste Division hosts a spring amnesty event. During the event, Bay County waives the
tipping fees for waste brought to us by residents of Bay County. This provides our citizens a no cost opportunity to
clean up any debris or unwanted trash that they may have accumulated during the year.
The yearly Spring Amnesty Event was held on April 11th and 12th. During the two day event, a total of 782 participants took advantage of the waived tipping fees. They dropped
off a total of 354 tons of waste, 31 pallets of paints, 656 tires,
751 fluorescent tubes, and gallons upon gallons of other household
chemicals.
Rising Learners Academy Field Trip
In February of this year, the Solid Waste Division hosted field trips
for 5th grade students of the Rising Leaders Academy. The students
were studying recycling and the environmental impacts of the longterm disposal of solid waste. The students visited both the Bay
County Waste-to-Energy facility and the Steelfield Road landfill. Like many people, the students and staff of the
Rising Leaders Academy were unaware of the environmental benefits that Bay County gains by operating a Wasteto-Energy facility. All and all the field trips were a great success and became a cornerstone of their research project.
Bay County Currents
Page 3
County Manager’s Corner
“The TRIM notices (Truth-in-Millage) have gone out from the Property Appraiser’s office showing the proposed tax increases our
Board is contemplating (see last month’s column) and predictably we have received a few comments from our citizens about the possibility of taxes going up. Among the more frequent comments are ‘just cut the fat out’ and ‘stop the waste of our money’ and ‘I haven’t
had a raise and neither should the government employees’. What seems particularly difficult for some folks to understand is how we
could be even considering raising the rate by 28% coming out of a very tough recession. Well, here are a few things to keep in mind
as we finish our budget process in September:
Did you know that WITH the increase next year, our general fund will stand at 62.8 million?
Did you know what our general fund stood at TEN YEARS AGO?? Answer: 67.3 million. WE WILL HAVE FIVE MILLION LESS
than ten years ago.
Did you know that a gallon of gas TEN YEARS ago averaged out at $2.34 a gallon?
Did you know that a gallon of gas this last year averaged $3.55 a gallon?
Did you know that in 2005 a loaf of bread was $1.05?
Did you know that in 2013 a loaf of bread was $1.41?
Did you know that ten years ago a dozen eggs cost $1.27?
Did you know that last year a dozen eggs cost $2.68?
The bottom line is that next year our millage rate of 4.65 is still a mil LOWER than in 2005-06, and we have 5 million LESS in our
general fund than we did a decade ago. You heard the old saying about figures don’t lie but liars figure? If you only have a nickel
to your name, and I give you five more cents, I have absolutely DOUBLED your income. But you are still left with only ten measly cents
to your name.
That 28% increase looks gaudy at first until you realize that we have kept taxes low for seven years to give people a break on
their taxes during the recession. If the Board had chosen during those years to gently roll the millage rate forward each year, we
would have increased our revenues well over 20% anyway, but the Commissioners wanted to see when the recession would end and
what kind of recovery our nation would experience. In effect, we lived off of our savings without raising taxes. What a concept.
Feel free to share this information with friends and neighbors. Just because we are finally increasing our revenues, it doesn’t make us
rich. Just able to do our jobs.”
We are having a TROY football watch party on October 24th @ Dave and Busters from 610pm. We are looking for sponsors as well.
Matthew Wright
850-747-0634
527 Airport Road Panama City, FL
TROY Enrollment Coordinator
http://trojan.troy.edu/globalcampus/sites/panamacity/
Bay County Currents
Page 4
Congratulations to:
* Tracey Griffin earned his Class “B” Drinking Water Treatment Plant
Operator License
*Adam Bass received his Class 3 Distribution System Operator
License
* Paul Beauchene earned his Building Plans Examiner License
Troy University’s Fall semester has begun . For help applying please contact
our local office at 850-747-0634. TROY
is excited to be offering multiple new
programs online this fall. Some of the
programs are BSBA in Accounting, Finance, a Doctoral program in Sports
Management, Masters in History, and
many more. For more information, please
give us a call or send an email to
[email protected] .
Vince (Parks) and Robyn Martin welcome their son
Grant Myles born August 10th at 6:24 pm 7lb 10 oz
21inches
Myles Chafin (Parks) welcomes his new daughter
Riley Annmarie born April 11th, 2014
Bay County Currents
Page 5
Computer Classes at the Bay County Public Library
Computer Basics Part 1
Tuesday, September 9 from 9:30 AM to 11 AM
Learn to identify and use computer components and the common elements of a Windowsbased operating system. Students will also navigate software programs to create a file and organize that file in folders. Prerequisite: None.
Computer Basics Part 2
Thursday, September 11 from 9:30 AM to 11 AM
Learn the basic features of the Internet Explorer web browser, learn the difference between a
search box and URL box, and learn to evaluate a website's content. Prerequisite: Computer
Basics Part 1 or equivalent experience.
Introduction to Excel Part 1
Tuesday, September 16 from 9:30 AM to 11 AM
Learn to use Microsoft's spreadsheet application for organizing and analyzing data. Students
will use Excel's features to create a simple spreadsheet while entering data and creating charts.
Thursday, September 18 from 9:30 AM to 11 AM
Learn how to set up a simple formula, create an electronic checkbook, and perform calculations. Prerequisite: Introduction to Excel Part 1.
Connect U: Word Basics
Tuesday, September 30 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM
Come, Connect, and Learn how to create, open, edit, and format any kind of Word document.
Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent experience.
The Northwest Regional Library System offers free workshops for beginning computer users
in the Bay County Public Library computer lab. Instruction is hands-on and is designed to be
progressive. Registration is not required. Workshops start on time, so be early and don't miss
anything!
Not all classes are offered every month. A new schedule is published on the 15th of the current
month for the following month on our Events Calendar.
For more information, please call 850-522-2107.
Bay County Currents
Page 6
Service Anniversaries
10 Years
Patricia Knox
Bay County Library
Robert Hall
Water Systems Division
Larry Mims
Traffic Engineering Division
Timothy Owens
Builder’s Services Division
30 Years
James George
1
Kim Brown
2
Sidney Goins
40 Years
3
Thomas Arnold
Samson Scott
4
Chris French
5
6
Robert Nowaczyk
Steven Kieffer
8
James Castle, Michael Dean
9
Bradley Monroe
11
Rosella Day
12
Chiquita Jacobs, Regina Jones
13
Barney McCosh, Julie Schumacher
14
Deborah Cuthbert, Paula Davis, Jennifer Shuler,
Bryant Morrell
15
Christopher Lee
17
Eddie Bozeman
20
David Stallworth, Chris Davis
21
Carol Hoots, Harold Patrick, Bridgette Whately
22
Jose Cantres, Jenny McNemar
23
Landfill Division
Purchasing Division
Welcome Aboard ~August New Hires!
Darrin Pursell
Engineering
Hilary Castle
Bay County Library
Sarah Burris
Bay County Library
Eddie Kemp, Kelly Simpson, Brandy Bowden
Peggy Dandy
Emergency Services
24
Paul Beauchene, Byron Boyce
JW Caulk
Mosquito Control
25
Billy Bibbs, Joseph Coatney
26
Eric Burch
Mikial Simmons
Emergency Services
27
Myles Chafin
Samantha Rodia
EMS
29
Roger Jones, Joseph Smith
Michael Stow
EMS
30
Patricia Miller, John Ford, Michael Bonnin
Floyd Coleman
EMS
Damon McMillion
Animal Services
If you do not want your birthday to be listed in the newsletter, please notify Maria
Westfall at [email protected].
Bay County Currents
Page 7
Risky Business
“A Publication of the Risk Management Department”
Safe Driving—A Real Workplace Concern
Background
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths on the job, and a major cause of work-related injuries. Every company
whose employees drive any kind of vehicle as part of their jobs should have a clearly written policy on vehicle use, maintenance,
and formal driver training. Even employees whose jobs do not require driving will benefit from safety talks on sensible and defensive driving.
The driving behaviors that most often lead to accidents are: 1) driving too fast, 2) ignoring traffic signs and signals, 3) following too
close to another vehicle, 4) driving in the wrong lane, and 5) failing to yield to another vehicle.
Every driver knows better than to do these things, but, at least some of the time, every driver does them. Here are a few basics of
good driving that everyone should follow—on and off the job.
Obey the speed limits. Speed limits are posted because they‘re considered the safest top speed for the road. In addition, most states
have raised their fines for speeding tickets and reduced the number of tickets allowed before suspending a driver’s license. Workers
who need to drive as part of the job can‘t risk losing their licenses.
Pay attention to traffic signals and signs. Even when you have the green light, look both ways to make sure someone else isn’t
jumping a red light from the other direction. Many drivers today seem to think a yellow light also means GO. It actually means
STOP unless you‘re already in the intersection. Red lights mean STOP. Period. In some places, you’re allowed to turn right on red,
but you still have to come to a complete stop first and make sure there are no pedestrians or other cars in your way before you turn.
Traffic signs also provide important instructions. Stop means a full stop, not a pause. Yield means let the other vehicle go first.
Signs that tell of construction or road hazards ahead are like the labels on containers of hazardous chemicals. They‘re a valuable
source of information and a warning to take protective steps.
Don’t follow too closely. Stay at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. The easiest way to make sure of that is to notice when the driver ahead passes something stationary, like a telephone pole. Start counting—“one thousand one,” etc.—and be
sure you complete at least “one thousand two” before you pass that same stationary object. If the weather is bad or if you‘re hauling a trailer, keep the distance even greater.
Pass on the left only, signaling first that you’re going to do so. Check to see that 1) there is nothing coming from the other direction, 2) no one in back of you is trying to pass you at the same time, and 3) no one from a farther-left lane is moving to the same
lane you want to enter. Then signal, pass, and signal as you‘re getting back into your lane.
Yield to drivers who have the right of way. In fact, yield to insistent drivers who don’t. When merging onto another road, as from a
highway entrance ramp, yield to drivers already on the highway. In a situation like a 4-way stop, courteously and cautiously take
your turn going into the intersection.
Difficult Driving Conditions
There are, not surprisingly, more accidents at night and in bad weather. Every driver should be prepared to modify driving habits
during those times.
Night driving has two key hazards: poor visibility and exhaustion. People are tired at night and they may not be paying close attention to their driving or to you. In addition, reflexes may be slower, so you have to be extra alert to make up for possible lapses on
your own part or that of other drivers.
Page 8
Bay County Currents
Rain, snow, fog, and other weather conditions can be especially dangerous when you‘re driving. It’s best to avoid driving in
bad weather if possible, but you can‘t always do it. Here are some bad-weather driving tips.
Rain. A light rain can make the road just as slick as a heavy downpour, so keep your speed down as soon as it starts. And
stay four, not two, seconds behind the driver in front. You can’t count on stopping as quickly in the rain.
• Do your best to improve visibility. Use your windshield wipers, defroster, and headlights. Check this equipment periodically and replace defective items promptly.
• Be careful of large puddles. They can make your brakes less effective. Also, the splashes you create can make it impossible for other drivers to see. If you drive through a puddle, do it slowly, keeping your left foot lightly on the brake
pedal to keep your brake pads dry. Test the brakes lightly afterwards.
• One of the worst problems in the rain is called hydroplaning. It means your tires are riding on the water instead of
the road, and it tends to happen at speeds of 30 mph or more. The best way to avoid it is to drive more slowly and more
smoothly in the rain, trying to avoid puddles. If you do find yourself hydroplaning—if your car gets out of control—take
your foot off the gas. Don‘t brake suddenly.
Snow and ice. Snow and ice create numerous driving problems: glare, skids, getting stuck. Most people also feel more tense
when driving in bad winter weather and don’t drive as well as they might normally. These precautions will help:
• Reduce glare by wearing sunglasses.
• Remove snow from your windshield, windows, hood, and roof before you get in the car. Make sure your headlights
and taillights are clear. As you drive, use your windshield wipers and your defroster.
• Reduce speed and increase the distance between you and the car in front. You need three to twelve times more distance to stop in snow or ice. Stop or slow down by braking slowly.
• If you skid, turn your steering wheel into the skid and take your foot off the gas pedal. Don‘t brake. Just steer gently
into the direction of the skid and straighten out the wheel after each turn.
• Be on the lookout for icy patches. Bridges, as signs often warn, tend to freeze before normal road surfaces. Shaded
spots will stay icier longer.
Fog. Fog is usually a warm-weather problem and can appear suddenly in patches. When entering a foggy area, slow down
gradually to avoid hitting any unseen cars in front of you and to prevent any cars behind from hitting you. Use your headlights on low beam so that you can see and other people can see you. Use your windshield wipers and defroster. Avoid passing. If you can’t see well enough to drive safely, do not stop in the roadway. Pull well off the road, leaving lights and flashers
on so your car can be seen.
Seat Belts
Seat belts, personal protective equipment for use when driving or riding in a car, can prevent many injuries and deaths. Two
common myths about accidents and seat belts have been shattered by the National Safety Council. These myths are that 1)
seat belts will trap drivers in their vehicles in case of fire or submersion, or 2) it is better to be thrown clear.
But the Council stresses that “Less than one-half of one percent of all injury-producing collisions involve fire or submersion”—
and not wearing a seat belt could mean you‘re knocked unconscious, and unable to get out. Also, a person is “25 times more
likely to be fatally injured if ejected from the vehicle than if inside and buckled up.”
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Bay County Currents
To be effective, a seat belt must be worn correctly. Keep the lap belt snug and low around the hips. The shoulder belt
should go across the collarbone and over the shoulder, not under the arm. Above all, don’t wear the shoulder belt alone,
without the lap belt. In an accident you may break bones, be strangled, or be thrown around or out of the car.
Seat belts are necessary at all times. Most serious and fatal injuries occur in cars going less than 40 mph—and most could be
avoided by wearing seat belts. Seat belt use is mandatory in an increasing number of states. But even if it‘s not required by
law, it should be required by common sense and a desire to live.
Defensive Driving Techniques
With today’s overcrowded and under-maintained roads, every driver has to be constantly alert to potential accidents. There
are a number of defensive driving techniques and strategies that can go a long way to promote on-the-road safety. Here
are a few.
• Keep your eye on the other guy. In fact, always expect the worst from other drivers, who may not be as skillful,
alert, or concerned as you. Expect them to go too fast, change lanes, pass, jam on the brakes, etc.
• Keep your eye on the road. You don‘t want to plow into a pothole or hit some piece of debris. Always be on the
lookout for pedestrians, bicycles, and animals that can dart into the road, as well as for people getting out of parked
cars.
• Don’t let yourself get boxed in heavy traffic. Try to keep a little distance between you and the other car and keep
an eye on where you can go if there‘s an accident. Slow down going into curves until you see what’s ahead.
• Keep all your senses on high alert when you see a school bus. Never pass a stopped school bus—it‘s against the
law. And keep in mind that school buses mean children getting on or off and crossing streets.
• Be aware that different vehicles handle differently and react differently to weather, wind, etc. If you’re used to
driving a heavy, full-size sedan, be cautious when you first drive a small car. It‘s lighter and needs more driver control in
wind—even the wind created when you’re passed by a large truck.
• Continually check other traffic with your rear- and side-view mirrors. Learn their blind spots, and turn your head
occasionally to check whatever the mirrors don‘t show. Adjust mirrors as soon as you enter a different vehicle.
• Keep your mind on your driving, your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel. Driving is no time to get deep
into daydreams, planning, or conversation with a passenger.
• Don’t drink and drive! Alcohol is believed to be a factor in at least half of motor vehicle deaths as well as many serious accidents. Drug use—even prescription drugs—can have similar effects. As in all work situations, substance abuse
cannot be tolerated while driving company vehicles.
• Maintain your vehicle. Keep it tuned according to manufacturer‘s specifications. Make sure tires, lights, fluids, be
and wires, wipers, etc. are checked out regularly.
Bay County Currents
Page 10
Looking for a Primary Care
Physician?
Seawind Medical Clinic offers Fast Track Options. If
you call and identify yourself as a Bay County Employee you can start the registration on the phone and be
prepared to expedite treatment when you arrive at the
office. Another option would be to contact Consult-ANurse at (850) 747-3600 and they can give you (3)
physicians to choose from.
Seawind Medical Clinic – Panama City office
4121 W. Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 215-2702
Seawind Medical Clinic – Panama City Beach office
PARKS & RECREATION DIVISION
Haunted Hayride Updates
The 2014 Bay County Haunted Hayride
will be October 24th (Friday night) and October 25th
(Saturday night). The Pumpkin Patch will be held on
Saturday evening October 25th. If you would like to
volunteer, please contact Janie Lucas at 784-4065 or
email her at [email protected].
.
16181 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, FL 32413
(850) 249-1830
Bay County Currents
Page 11
September 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1 Carillion
Artisan Market
2
3
4
5 Friday Fest
6 Free Wine
7 Americana
Café Sundays
@ Roberts Hall
8
9 Lynn Haven
10
Farmers Market
11 The Guys @
The Side Door
Martin Theater
12 The Guys @ 13 The Glass
The Side Door Menagerie @
Martin Theater Kaleidoscope
Theater
14 Chasing the
Sun Music
Festival @
Aaron Bessant
Prk
15
16
17
18 Bay Breeze
Concert Series
@ Marina Civic
Center
19
20 Seaside
Farmers Market @ Seaside
Amphitheater
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Tasting @ Charlie
Lahan”s Carousel
Bay County Currents
Page 12
Bay County EMS
Bay District Schools, Bay County Emergency Medical Services partner
to promote preparedness for upcoming school year
As the school year kicked off, Bay
District Schools Chief of Safety Mike
Jones was busy distributing “first responder kits” to district schools. On
August 14, 15, and 18, EMS employees Chief Corky Young and Lieutenant Chuck Jeter assisted by providing
training on the items in the kit and an
overview of the EMS system.
The kits are designed to be used for
mass casualty incidents such as tornadoes, fires, or other large scale
emergencies. The kits allow administration and staff to be “first responders” and perform first aid and triage patients.
“Mass Casualty Incidents, while rare, do occur,”
said Chief Corky Young. “We applaud Bay District Schools for this level of preparedness.
Having staff at a scene who can triage and
treat patients allows us to respond more efficiently and effectively in an emergency situation.”
Each elementary school received two of the
kits, middle schools received four, and high
schools received six. Designated individuals at
each school are responsible for the kits.
Bay County Currents
Page 13
Fire Services
Firefighters Participate in Advanced Fire Training Drills
Train like your life depends on it . . . because it does.
Over the past two weeks, members of Bay County Fire Services and other area fire departments participated in advanced
fire training at the old 9th St. Transportation Yard. During these
rapid paced and dynamic training sessions, instructors placed
the firefighters in challenging full-speed scenarios designed to
simulate a variety of structure fire and rescue responses.
Bay County Fire Services Captain Wayne Gilmore and Lieutenant Justin Busch from Panama City Beach Fire Department
coordinated the scenarios and supervised the training.
Throughout the training, department members carried out a
number of fire ground scenarios that honed their operational
skills and techniques in areas such as fire attack, roof ventilation, search & rescue, forcible entry, incident command, and
use of the thermal imaging camera. This fast paced training is
a valuable asset to developing and maintaining a firefighter’s
ability to operate safely and effectively at structure-fire related
incidents.
“ Our crews were given an opportunity to try new techniques and
build their skills without holding back ” said Captain Gilmore. “On a
true emergency scene, you don't get a do over, so we go full speed
here and sometimes make mistakes, but it is these mistakes in
training that make you flawless in the real world.”
The training also served as an opportunity for area fire departments
to work together. Springfield Fire and Panama City Beach Fire Departments regularly respond as automatic aid to the County. These
buildings provided a large area to meet and work together on communication and first and second due engines tactics.
"The first 5 minutes of any fire is organized chaos" said Gilmore,
“Repetitive training like this with our sister departments makes
things flow smooth on scene."
Altogether, there were 8 different scenarios over the course of two
weeks. If you take into account how many scenarios each crew
member participated in and the amount of personal drills completed, this has been one of Bay County Fire Services’ largest training
events to date.
"We love this, how often do you get the chance to force a block wall
for rescue?" said Firefighter Alex Pearce.
The buildings were graciously donated by the Transportation Planning Organization and gave crews a chance to get hands-on in a
variety of structure types and sizes. What is left of the buildings are
slated for demolition at the beginning of September.
Bay County Currents
Page 14
4-H Riding Rebel Reunion
The Bay County 4-H Riding Rebels is hosting a reunion for past and
present 4-H members and their families. If you have been involved with
the Riding Rebels 4-H Club, we invite you to attend. The event will be
held at the Bay County Fairgrounds beginning at noon on September 6,
2014. Please bring a covered dish, beverages, photos and memorabilia from your 4-H Riding Rebels Days. If you plan to attend this event,
contact Richard Young at 321-203-9836 or Dara Strickland at 850596-2545.
The 4-H Riding Rebels Program began around 1967 with 65 members. In 1968, Doyle Conner, State Commissioner of Agriculture, commended the club of 123 members for their successes as young riders. In 1974,
21 of the 25 members competed at the district show all advanced on to state.
In 1975, five members were qualified to go to the regional show in Dallas,
Texas. In 1976, 23 of 25 members qualified to go to the state show. In the
80’s and 90’s, more than 24 members were qualified to attend the state show.
Over the past 15 years, Riding Rebels has had horse judging teams who have
competed at the state competition. Currently, members are still participating in
area and state shows as 4-H Riding Rebels members.
4-H is one of the nation’s most diverse organizations and includes people from all economic, racial, social, political, and geographic categories. There are no barriers to participation by any young person. These youth
are given the opportunity to engage in activities that hold their personal interest, while being guided by adult volunteers. The local 4-H Agent, Dr. Paula
Davis, is the youth development professional who provides direction and program leadership. 4-H is part of the nationwide Cooperative Extension System.
For more information about 4-H, please contact UF/IFAS Extension Bay County at 850-774-6105. Or, check out our website at http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu.
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Bay County Currents
Page 17
“Urgent Need for Bay County Foster Parents”
Almost every day in this area, children are removed from their homes because they are no longer safe due to the likelihood of abuse
or neglect. The devastating fact is that Bay County has one of the highest child removal rates in the state of Florida. These displaced children may go to live with relatives or non-relatives, in foster care or in a group home. Many people wonder why Bay County has such a high
removal rate. There are many answers. Bay County has a very transient population making for families without roots, support and stability.
Domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health problems are prevalent.
There are currently over 300 children who have been removed from their homes and placed in out of home care. This includes Bay,
Gulf, Jackson, Calhoun, Holmes & Washington counties. Of those 300+ children, 258 are from Bay County. With the large number of children being removed in this area, there are not nearly enough foster homes to take care of them. Life Management Center of Northwest Florida recruits homes for these children, trains the foster parents and supports them. We have a total of 69 licensed foster homes within these
six counties. We need to double that number today. There are currently 78 children who are from Bay County, who have been placed out of
Bay County due to the shortage of foster homes within our community.
The large number of removed children makes it extremely difficult to keep up with the number of foster homes needed. In addition, the mission of foster care is often misunderstood and there are many myths. Many people worry about the emotional or behavioral
challenges the child may bring or how the child will mix with other family members. There may be concerns about the child’s birth family
or the cost involved with bringing a child into the home. Many worry about what it will be like to say “good bye” to the child if he or she
goes home. Although there are a lot of challenges for foster parents, the program comes with a large support system equipped to handle all
of these concerns. Foster parents are provided a monthly stipend to assist in paying for children’s clothes, food and other necessities. Foster
parents also receive subsidized daycare referrals through the Early Learning Coalition.
Children who enter foster care have suffered traumatic events that no child should ever have to face, and according to many foster
parents, the opportunity to help them heal and trust again is one of life’s best rewards. Foster parents Bob and Eileen Burick decided after
nearly three decades of marriage that they wanted to foster. “Knowing that such a traumatic crisis was inevitably going to happen within a
family, we felt prepared not to just provide a band aid to a hurting family, but to be there to help them through a time of tremendous emotional, physical and spiritual need in their lives,” said Eileen. She went on to say that “this has already been an answer to our prayers that we
would be enabled to make a difference in the life of a child and in the life of his family.”
The Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) is an eight-week course that is offered at no charge to those interested in becoming licensed foster parents. If you would like to learn more about the program, Life Management Center offers one-hour orientation sessions
as well. For more information about fostering, please contact 850-522-4485 ext. 8404 or [email protected]. You may also visit our
website at www.thesolutionisaparent.com.