Children's Home Society of Florida General Information

Children's Home Society of Florida
Copyright © 2012 Community Foundation of Central Florida
General Information
Nonprofit
Children's Home Society of Florida
Address
1485 S. Semoran Blvd.
Ste. 1448
Winter Park, FL 32792
Phone
(321) 397-3000
Fax
(321) 397-3022
Website
http://www.chsfl.org
Contact Email
[email protected]
Year of Incorporation
1902
Organization DBA
Former Names
Organization's type of tax exempt status
Public Supported Charity
Name of supporting organization
Organization received a competitive grant from the community foundation in the past five years
No
Statements and Search Criteria
Mission Statement
Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.
Impact Statement
We embrace those in need … we change their lives.
Foster care, domestic and international adoption
Children’s Home Society of Florida recognizes the significant commitment made by foster parents and works
hard to support those willing to help hurting children. Trained staff provides foster parents with mentoring,
counseling, assistance, training and ongoing support.
Children’s Home Society of Florida has been named an Angel in Adoptionby the Congressional Coalition for
Adoption Institute, received a national Excellence in Adoptionaward for success in adoption of minority
children from foster care and earned Leadership Florida’s Statewide Community Award. Last year, we
finalized more than 840 adoptions, bringing the total number of “forever families” to nearly 39,000 since our
inception in 1902.
Preparing youth for independence
Though the help of CHS, teens don’t have to face adulthood alone. Our extensive preparation programs
provide youth with life skills, training, mentoring, career counseling and safe housing. Children’s Home
Society of Florida, helped more than 7,000 youth this year.
Breaking the cycle of abuse
Our remarkable, child abuse prevention programs are dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational abuse
and neglect. This past year, more than 25,000 children and families received help through these services.
Healing the pain
CHS helps abused children work through the pain that lasts long after the scars have healed. We strive to
help these children overcome traumas they have endured and place them in a safe, nurturing environment.
Additionally, Children’s Home Society of Florida provides counseling and mentoring to families facing a crisis
so they learn appropriate ways to cope with their stress and anger.
Over this past year, all of our programs combined helped nearly 200,000 children and family members grow
stronger and build safe environments.
Background Statement
With strong roots in adoption, our rich history has earned us the reputation of Florida’s most reputable
adoption organization … but we are so much more. While our impressive numbers are a sound barometer of
our success, we gauge our progress in a more intangible way by focusing on the strong family relationships
we help create, the children we help heal and the lives we change forever. The love, care and safety our
organization provides to children can’t even truly be measured.
As we look toward the future, we will continue to evolve to successfully protect children, to help them find
hope and happiness. We will tirelessly advocate at the Capitol to protect funding for children, seek and
implement best practices for our services, develop innovative programs and, most importantly, maintain the
core values and mission that have been the stable foundation of our organization for more than a century.
It all began in 1902 when nearly 400 homeless, neglected children arrived in Jacksonville on Orphan Trains,
destined to fend for themselves. These abandoned children all had different – yet devastating – stories;
some had parents who could no longer afford to care for them, others had tragically lost their parents … all
shared a grim journey from home to streets far, far away.
With dedication and community support, Reverend D.W. Comstock formed Children’s Home Society of
Florida November 17, 1902, to provide a family and a stable home for children who had nowhere else to go.
Through Children’s Home Society of Florida, these orphaned passengers found a better place and a fresh
start where they would no longer to struggle to survive.
Throughout the years, Children’s Home Society of Florida has continued to stand strong in our mission,
values and impact. We are proud to be Florida’s largest and oldest statewide not-for-profit organization
serving children and families.
While still honoring our roots in adoption, our calling has grown and evolved over the past century, and we
now boast a myriad of valuable programs that give children and adults opportunities that positively influence
their lives. Working with struggling families, suffering children and teenagers facing adulthood alone,
Children’s Home Society of Florida provides guidance, support and hope. As we work to help more children
grow up safe, healthy and prepared for life, we empower individuals and families to lead meaningful,
productive lives.
Primary Organization Category
Human Services / Children's and Youth Services
Secondary Organization Category
Human Services / Family Services
Tertiary Organization Category
Human Services / Adoption
Geographic Areas Served
FL
CHS offers services to children and families in every Florida county.
Needs Statement
CHS' greatest needs are:
> Prospective foster and adoptive parents to help begin the healing for children in foster care who await
loving families.
> Mentors for youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood, and teen and first-time mothers.
> Increased support for programs that serve youth aging out of foster care.
> Unrestricted funds for the development of program enhancement and innovation.
> Energetic board members representing diverse communities and professions to actively participate in
fundraising and advocacy.
CEO Statement
Nothing drives personal change more than hope and empowerment. At Children's Home Society of Florida,
our goal is to expose every child, teen, parent and grandparent to options and opportunities that offer hope;
to nurture, counsel and mentor them to develop the skills and fortitude to succeed in life.
We can’t expect abused, neglected and abandoned children to turn their lives around and become
successful adults and loving parents without caring guidance from trained professionals and devoted
volunteers. Many child victims are adults and parents by the time CHS enters their lives but they, too,
deserve to find hope; to learn to take control of their lives.
Our strategic vision to end the tragic cycle of abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of children is a
compelling extension of CHS’ rich history. Since 1902, we’ve delivered an ever-evolving array of exceptional
services designed to meet emergent social needs. Early last century, CHS leaders pushed for extensive
legislation to protect children and advance their educational opportunities.
Today, achieving our goal to stop child abuse continues to hinge on relentless advocacy. Most struggling
families face multiple issues, yet our system of aid is comprised of funding silos built around single issues
such as housing, mental health, unemployment, substance abuse and domestic violence. We believe the
solution is flexible funding for integrated child and family services.
CHS advocacy efforts are driven by data and outcomes gathered statewide as we serve more than 86,000
children and family members each year. Our structure and size place CHS in the unique position to pilot new
programs and service enhancements in one or more communities, study the results and replicate initiatives
that most effectively empower our clients and foster hope for brighter futures.
We welcome the support and involvement of others who wish to help us pursue our ambitious goals and
fulfill our mission: Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.
Board Chair Statement
Children's Home Society of Florida’s successes have been many and varied over the past 100-plus years.
CHS has found “forever families” for more than 36,000 adoptive children, including 1,090 last year alone.
CHS has championed ground-breaking legislation to protect and serve children. CHS has helped to reform
Florida’s child welfare system, supporting privatization financially, in leadership roles, and by building
capacity to serve more children. CHS has grown to serve more than 86,000 children, teens and adults each
year. CHS has maintained strong fiscal health and is a diligent steward of funders’ and contributors’
resources. CHS has introduced employee programs and benefits that demonstrate deeply held concern for
and appreciation of team members. These are but a handful of key accomplishments from a lengthy and
meaningful record.
I am proud and honored to have the opportunity to aid in the continuation of CHS’ long, rich legacy. It is my
honor to work alongside visionary, dedicated volunteers and staff who are driven to affect change on behalf
of children. Looking forward, we seek to further advance Florida’s and our nation’s services to children. We
will advocate for flexible funding that allows us to wrap services around struggling families and hurting
children. We will pursue new resources for innovative programs and service enhancements. We will recruit
forward-thinking partners who share our commitment to outcomes-driven projects.
Our greatest challenge is continuing to secure the enthusiastic engagement of individuals and organizations
who share our passion for helping children. We seek caring volunteers, strategic leaders, tireless advocates
and generous contributors to help carry forward CHS’ heroic vision.
I invite others to lend their hands, hearts, influence and resources to ensure CHS is able to positively impact
the lives of hundreds of thousands of precious children in the years to come.
Robert M. Moser
Chair
Programs
CHS - The Broad View
CHS provides a continuum of effective, efficient services to empower children and parents to lead
responsible, productive and meaningful lives. Programs and services include foster care, adoption,
emergency and long-term shelter for runaways and for children who are victims or at risk of abuse, neglect or
abandonment. CHS also provides child, parent and family counseling, parent education, family building,
strengthening and preservation, various intervention programs for infants through teens, well baby care,
access to children's mental health services, care for developmentally disabled children, and more. CHS is a
founding member of the Child Welfare League of America, co-founder of the Florida CEO Round Table for
Children, is accredited by the National Council on Accreditation, and licensed by the Florida Department of
Children & Families.
Budget
Category
Human Services
Population Served
Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) / Young Adults (20-25 years) -- currently not in use / Adults
Program Short-Term Success
Each of our numerous programs is driven by specific outcomes, some of which are detailed in the program
descriptions that follow.
Program Long-Term Success
In 2006, CHS leadership launched its new strategic plan designed to break the generational cycle of child
abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of children, ensuring our youth are safe, healthy and prepared for
life. We've challenged our staff to take an innovative approach to services as we seek opportunities to
research and replicate evidence-based best practices.
Program Success Monitored By
Evaluative measures also are program-specific, as noted in the examples that follow.
Examples of Program success
To read a vareity of success stories, please visit www.chsfl.org/as-stories-love.php and www.chsfl.org/fsstories-love.php. You may also view our annual reports to read more inspiring testimonies,
www.chsfl.org/press-room.php.
Breaking the Cycle
CHS is committed to break the tragic generational cycle of abuse for increasing numbers of children, to
prevent youth from suffering the tragedies of abuse, neglect or abandonment. Our research- and evidencebased prevention programs reach children and families in their homes, working with expectant, first-time and
struggling parents to provide education, guidance, encouragement and family resources so they learn how to
appropriately raise and nurture their growing children. Our early education and care programs ensure
children receive the educational, developmental and social support necessary to reach milestones, and we
work with parents to ensure they understand how to help their children thrive. We also offer mentoring for
youth with incarcerated parents, and we provide individual and family counseling for troubled and truant
youth. Our services break the tragic generational cycle of abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of
children by empowering, strengthening and preserving youth and families.
Budget
Category
Human Services / Family-Based Services
Population Served
Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) / Single Parents / Other Minorities
Program Short-Term Success
Each program has slightly different measures of success. In Healthy Start, the goal is that 100% of mothers
enrolled in our program will receive education on reducing the risk of SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome, the
importance of adhering to an immunization schedule, and benefits of breastfeeding. Of smokers, 80% will
reduce the quantity smoked, and 75% will change habits to reduce exposure of second-hand smoke.
Of children in families participating in our Healthy Families Program for at least six months, 90% will be
linked to a medical provider and 90% will receive age-appropriate developmental screenings.
Because many family strengthening and child abuse prevention efforts focus on developing bonds through
positive activity, literacy is also an important part of our programs. While children learn to read at higher
levels and perform better in school, their parents also improve literacy levels and further their education
and/or careers to provide better lives for their families.
Program Long-Term Success
Our prevention programs use research-based methods to break the cycle of abuse and neglect for
increasing numbers of children. As a result, more children will grow and thrive in loving, stable homes under
the care of supportive parents.
One program, Healthy Families, provides voluntary in-home services to parents with young children. Of
children in families that complete the program, our goal is for 95% to be free from any findings of
maltreatment during the 12 months following completion.
Another program, Healthy Start, works with expectant mothers to ensure they receive prenatal care and
education to safely raise their children; our goal is that 85% of pregnant women participating prenatally will
give birth to a healthy baby as defined by birth weight >5.5 pounds.
While families strengthen, more children remain safe at home, and fewer enter the child welfare system. As
the tragic cycle of abuse continues breaking, generations of children shall experience the love and safety
they deserve.
Program Success Monitored By
As noted, each program designed to break the cycle has its own measures of success. Some examples
include: Client self-reports; pre- and post-service assessments; well-baby check-up documentations;
immunization documentations; reports verifying linkage to medical providers; and home visits.
Examples of Program success
Lives are changed daily as a result of our efforts to break the cycle of chidl abuse and neglect. One such
example is from our Healthy Start Program:
As a recovering drug addict who suffered two miscarriages, Laura was terrified when she became pregnant
again–terrified she’d hurt her unborn baby, terrified the stress of her pregnancy would tempt her to use
again.
Then she enrolled in Healthy Start, which educates, counsels and helps women through their pregnancy and
first years of motherhood. Laura learned to manage stress, focus on health and release anxiety.
Now she’s ready to give baby Kaitlyn the best life possible. Through Healthy Start, Laura found resources
that prepared her for bringing Kaitlyn home and also found a support group for pregnant women recovering
from addictions.
Laura can count on her Healthy Start counselor for education and resources. But she also knows her
counselor truly cares. “CHS was a big help to me, and it’s a big help to the community,” Laura says. “It
changed my life.”
Healing the Pain
For children who’ve already suffered the pain of physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or abandonment, CHS
provides safety, shelter, love, guidance and counseling to help these innocent youth work through the
tragedies that brought them into our care. Many first receive help at our Child Advocacy Center as our team
of medical, legal and social service professionals delicately investigates allegations of abuse and works with
the victims and non-offending family members to find services to begin the healing process and to prevent
such a tragedy from ever again occuring. Some children, victimized by their own parents, find safety in our
emergency shelters or residential group homes, where they become part of a large lively “family” cared for
and nurtured by devoted staff members; others later join loving foster families and for the first time
understand the meaning of family. While the outer scars begin to heal, CHS provides therapy and support to
help heal the inner scars, to help children conquer the demons that have threatened their security for too
long. And for families determined to bring their children back home safely, CHS provides individualized case
planning, encouragement and guidance to ensure parents can safely nurture their children; while they work
through their case plans, families can visit together in our friendly, home-like Family Visitation Centers,
strengthening the bond and building the trust necessary to heal the pain.
Budget
Category
Human Services / Children & Youth Services
Population Served
Crime/Abuse Victims / Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) / Adults
Program Short-Term Success
By protecting, sheltering and nurturing once-victimized children in secure, wholesome family environments,
children and youth will be free from abuse or neglect, and parents will receive the education and guidance
necessary to reunify with their children, if safe for the children. Additionally, many children rescued from
harmful environments are behind in school; after coming into our care, these children receive additional
scholastic help through volunteer tutors and reading programs, thus allowing the youth to catch up to their
peers academically.
Program Long-Term Success
As with all our services, these programs to are designed to protect young victims and also to guide them on
their paths toward healing. While keeping children safe, we also provide counseling and encouragement;
meanwhile, for some families, we also work with parents determined to learn how to properly raise their
children in stable, healthy families. As a result of our services, youth once victimized will work through the
trauma that brought them into our care and either be safely reunited with their families, join loving foster
and/or adoptive families, or become part of our “family” at one of our group residential homes. Through
individualized care, counseling and guidance, youth have the opportunity to pursue happy, productive futures
to become contributing members of society and to one day become loving, nurturing parents of their own
children.
Program Success Monitored By
While our efforts to heal the pain have many measures of success, a primary measurement tool used is the
state's re-abuse rates, which indicate whether or not a child once reported to have been abused has suffered
abuse again.
Examples of Program success
So many young lives have been changed for the better through our efforts to heal the pain. One such
example is resulted from our residential programs:
Jessica’s not the person she once was. She rarely talks back, she controls her anger. Rather than skipping
school, she’s a good student. And now that she’s at our residential home for girls, she has stability and
guidance.
Her sister, Connie, also found love, encouragement and structure to become a responsible young lady. Prior
to CHS, the girls endured turbulent childhoods and unspeakable traumas. Traumas they conquer through
customized care and attention at CHS.
Before CHS, Jessica didn’t think about the future. Now she hopes to become a teacher and raise a family.
Connie also aspires to teach, a path once unlikely. Never a reader, she reluctantly joined the group home’s
book club, struggling to finish the first book. Now reading a new one each month, she looks forward to going
to the library, has improved in school and dreams of a future filled with happiness.
Finding a Family
Sometimes the children in our care can never return home … horrific abuse or neglect, domestic violence,
and/or excessive drug and alcohol use in the home prevents the safe return of children to their biological
parents. When this happens, CHS works with foster and prospective adoptive families in the community to
find the perfect family for each child waiting to be welcomed into a forever home. At CHS, we find parents for
children, not children for parents; our trained adoption experts understand the unique needs, personalities
and special challenges of every child and then appropriately match children with families eager to embrace
them and ready to provide the necessary support, counseling and love they deserve. We offer continual preand post-adoption support and training for all members of the adoptive family, and we provide critical
connections to community resources to ensure children continue to develop and thrive.
Budget
Category
Human Services / Children & Youth Services
Population Served
Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) / Crime/Abuse Victims / Adults
Program Short-Term Success
In our quest to find permanent families for children, we must also ensure the right family is matched with
each child and that each family understands the adoptive process. Thus, we track prospective adoptive
families that have attended an Adoption Orientation and have continued to successfully complete required
MAPP training, home studies and background checks.
Program Long-Term Success
We work hard to ensure that children in foster care awaiting adoption will be successfully placed with an
adoptive family and have their adoptions finalized; in the past two years, CHS has finalized adoptions for
more than 2,000 children welcomed into their forever families. Through our intense efforts to find every child
a permanent, loving forever family, we strive to reduce the number of children “aging out” of foster care each
year, thus reducing the number of young adults entering independence without a family. Moreover, our goal
to find adoptive families for children will also reduce the length of time children spend in the foster care
system, thus increasing the likelihood of successful, permanent placements.
Program Success Monitored By
We measure our adoptive family recruitment efforts by collecting data regarding the interest we receive from
potential adoptive parents as well as the follow through to determine how many completed the necessary
steps to become adoptive parents. In measuring our success in finding families for children, we track the
number of finalized adoptions.
Examples of Program success
DeShawn and his younger siblings, Kurt and Moesha, joined their new foster family carrying a single bag of
dirty clothes. As the days progressed, their foster mother, Violet, caught glimpses of the horrors they
previously endured. And each child also carried emotional scars hidden beneath protective outer shells.
Kurt was angry and rebellious. He’d shuffled between foster homes before and didn’t expect this to be any
different. But Violet did. She knew structure was as important as love and guidance.
Eventually, Violet and her husband, Ron, adopted seven children from foster care. While their children’s
initial behaviors reflected pain of their pasts, years of guidance and love nurtured new attitudes and hope.
Ron and Violet conquered challenges with patience and a commitment to their family. With support and
training from CHS, they opened their hearts to every dispute, overcoming obstacles with love and structure.
In return, their children know they’re truly with their forever family.
Preparing for Independence
For teenagers in Florida's foster care system, we provide independent and transitional living services to help
them prepare for independence. Many of these teens have found safety, security and guidance at one of our
residential group homes in a large "family" cared for by dedicated staff who encourage their dreams. As the
youth prepare to "age out" of Florida's foster care system on their 18th birthdays, CHS provides important life
skills training, such as teaching teens how to budget, prepare meals, secure transportation and living
arrangements, continue their education, and seek employment opportunities. Without such services, many of
these teens would be homeless, drop out of school, become parents before they're ready, and/or become
victims or perpetrators of crime, once again reliving the horrific cycle that brought them into the system as
children. However, our services designed to prepare teens for independence and productive, successful
futures effectively break this cycle, granting them the opportunities to graduate high school and pursue
higher education and career training, allowing them to create the future they deserve.
Budget
Category
Human Services / Children & Youth Services
Population Served
Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years) / Young Adults (20-25 years) -- currently not in use / Homeless
Program Short-Term Success
When Florida’s foster youth turn 18, they receive a booklet of important numbers – the last two pages list the
state’s homeless shelters. Through Independent and Transitional Living Programs, Florida’s 18-year-olds
who age out of foster care will have an alternative to homeless shelters, couches and underpasses. As a
result, more of these youth will have the opportunity to finish high school, something that may be
unachievable without a safe place to live. Moreover, these programs teach teens basic life skills so they can
live on their own, from finding public transportation to cooking their own meals and grocery shopping on a
budget and paying the electricity bill on time. Keeping teens off the streets and in school is the first step
toward changing their lives.
Program Long-Term Success
As our Independent and Transitional Living Programs provide teens with affordable, safe housing, fewer
youth who “age out” of the foster care at 18 will be faced with homelessness; since they’ll have secure
housing, more youth will stay in school to finish their high school education and then have the chance to
pursue a college degree or job skills training. Through the individual support and guidance they receive,
youth who may not have had the opportunity to thrive will instead gain the life and career skills and education
necessary to become productive, contributing members of society and, when the time comes, stable,
nurturing parents to their own children. As a result, fewer youth aging out of foster care will turn to crime,
drugs and life on the streets, thus effectively breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect that brought them into
the child welfare system, making our communities safer and our futures brighter.
Program Success Monitored By
Youth in our programs designed to prepare them for independence work closely with a case manager and a
counselor, both of whom track each individual's progress and success.
Examples of Program success
Myisha used to wish upon a star that her mother would come back. But when she did, the years that passed
made it impossible to have a mother-daughter relationship; it wasn’t long before Myisha returned to foster
care. Now in high school and approaching her 18th birthday, Myisha will soon become an adult, responsible
for her housing, bills and education. Thanks to our Independent and Transitional Living Programs, she knows
she won’t be alone, and she knows she can create the future she’s dreamed of.
“No one can imagine what it’s like to be in foster care. We’re hurting 75 percent of the times, and no one
understands what we go through,” Myisha explains.
So CHS is helping Myisha live for her future, providing her with an affordable apartment and continuing case
management to offer support, guidance and assistance as she finishes high school and continues her
education at the local community college to become a nurse, giving back to others the hope CHS has given
to her.
Program Comments
CEO Comments
While we advocate at the state and federal levels for funding reform to benefit at-risk children and their
families, we continue to seek contributed income that will allow us the flexibility to provide the many services
our clients need. Presently, social service funding revolves around single issues such as homelessness,
mental health and substance abuse. Social workers must help their clients, who typically struggle with
multiple issues, must navigate each system independently in order to access available resources for which
they are eligible. We seek a more solutions-oriented approach such as a single point of access for children
and families facing numerous challenges. Until we see funding reform, community support and private
contributions enable us to drive more resources toward efforts to ensure children are safe, healthy and
prepared for life.
In our efforts to keep children safe, healthy and prepared for life, we responsibly use our resources to fund
programs that break the tragic cycle of abuse and neglect for more children, heal the pain for children who've
already suffered tragedies, find families for youth in need of stability and prepare teens for independence. An
overview of our program budgets is below:
Adoption
Reuniting Families
Group/Residential Home Care
Emergency Shelter
Permanency, Foster Care and Related services
Family Visitation
Runaway and Homeless youth
Independent and Transitional Living
Early Education and Care
Early Steps
Healthy child development
Home based and family centered services
Social Development, school based and
Prevention services
Mentoring
Child Protection teams
Mental Health and Counseling services
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
4,767,944
160,245
7,839,022
1,803,701
46,636,373
1,596,065
2,503,957
3,316,596
3,589,983
2,720,113
6,072,626
7,750,542
1,020,475
$
$
$
1,541,297
2,910,138
9,661,640
Foundation Staff Comments
Management
CEO/Executive Director
Mr. David A. Bundy
CEO Term Start
June 2000
CEO Email
[email protected]
CEO Experience
David A. Bundy, President and Chief Executive Officer, was tapped for the top post on June 30, 2000, a
pivotal time in the privatization of Florida’s child welfare services. Under Mr. Bundy's leadership, CHS played
a key role in the dramatic reform of Florida’s child protection system that transferred foster care and related
services to private, community-based agencies. Now, Mr. Bundy is leading a new CHS charge: to be the
drivers of change in child welfare by identifying and implementing best practices proven to break the
generational cycle of child abuse.
Joining CHS in 1988 as Executive Director of the Central Florida Division, Mr. Bundy became COO in 1997
and served as Interim President in 2000. Prior to serving Florida’s children, Mr. Bundy was selected by thenGovernor John H. Sununu as the first-ever Director of the Division for Children and Youth Services for the
State of New Hampshire. He also served as Executive Director of the City of Manchester Office of Youth
Services in New Hampshire.
A tireless advocate for children, Mr. Bundy helped found Florida's People - Florida's Promise, with leaders
from Florida Coalition for Children, Community Based Care of Seminole, AARP and Florida TaxWatch, to
help ensure funding for programs that serve vulnerable Floridians from infants to the elderly. For his
advocacy efforts, Mr. Bundy was honored by Florida Coalition for Children as recipient of its 2008
Chairman’s Award for Advocacy.
Mr. Bundy has served on Gov. Charlie Crist’s Transition Team as a member of the Citizen’s Review Panel
for the Department of Children and Families, testified before the Department of Children and Families Task
Force on Child Protection, and presented to Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder
Affairs.
Mr. Bundy is an active member of Florida Coalition for Children, a past chair of the Multi-agency Network for
Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children (SEDNET) for District 7A, a board member for Florida TaxWatch, a
graduate of Leadership Florida, and a member of myregion.org Advisory Board.
For the past few years, Mr. Bundy has served as a presenter at Georgetown University duPont Executive
Institute. He earned his Master’s in Counseling from the University of New Hampshire and his Master’s in
Business Administration from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.
Number of Full Time Staff
1599
Number of Part Time Staff
245
Number of Volunteers
6357
Number of Contract Staff
0
Staff Retention Rate
75
Organization has Fundraising Plan?
Under Development
Organization has Strategic Plan?
Yes
Does your organization have a Business Continuity Plan?
Years Strategic Plan Considers
N/A
Date Strategic Plan Adopted
June 2006
Management Succession Training Plan
Yes
Organization Policies And Procedures
Yes
Co-CEO
Co-CEO Term Start
Co-CEO Email
Co-CEO Experience
Former CEOs and Terms
Mr. Howard Weisz - Jan 1991 to June 2000
Mr. Steve Zaricki - Jan 1987 to Dec 1990
Senior Staff
James E. Patrick - Chief Operating Officer
Within CHS, Jim Patrick has also held the positions of Vice President of Managed Care Services, Regional
Vice President and Executive Director of the Central Florida Division.
Mr. Patrick has been in the field of child welfare and mental health supervision for more than 25 years. He
has experience in the for-profit, not-for-profit and public sectors. In the public sector, Mr. Patrick was the
Associate Director of the Department for Children & Families in Rhode Island and for a nine-month term, was
Acting Director of that statewide child welfare agency.
Mr. Patrick has been active in various national efforts and currently, is a member of the steering committee of
the Child Welfare League of America’s Managed Care Institute. Mr. Patrick has a B.A. Degree in Economics
and an M.A. Degree in Counseling Psychology.
Robert J. Wydra - Chief Financial Officer
Bringing more than 17 years of not-for-profit financial experience to the position, Mr. Robert J. Wydra, Jr.,
CPA, was named Chief Financial Officer for CHS in July 2007. Mr. Wydra oversees statewide business and
financial management, and administers budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, internal auditing, risk
management and pension.
Mr. Wydra's not-for-profit expertise includes accounting and taxation, fiscal policy compliance, budgeting and
forecasting, treasury management, strategic management, teambuilding and mentoring. He joined CHS in
2001 as Controller, where he was instrumental in centralizing accounting and finance functions, reducing
time and improving accuracy of reporting, and reducing audit fees by 25 percent. Mr. Wydra re-engineered
the accounting system, procedures to reduce data reporting errors and annual system fees, implemented
paperless financial reporting and led the conversion to an automated payroll system. He also led outsourced
accounting services for other not-for-profits.
Before joining CHS, Mr. Wydra built a $1 million book of business as a Financial Adviser at Merrill Lynch.
Mr. Wydra also served as Vice President of Operations at Professional Accounting Solutions, Inc., in
Rockville, Md., and Chief Financial Officer of The Conservation Fund in Arlington, Va., following service as
Senior Accounting Analyst for the The Nature Conservancy where he began as AP Coordinator.
Mr. Wydra earned his Bachelor of Science/Business Administration in Accounting from the University of
Central Florida in 1989, his CPA designation in 1991. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Joan P. Hughes - Vice President of Administration
Shelley S. Katz - Vice President of Operations
Andry Sweet - Vice President of Innovation and Quality Management
Lizbeth A. Bruner - Vice President of Development and Communication
Tara Hormell - Executive Director, Central Florida Division
Jennifer Anchors - Executive Director, Mid Florida Division
Teresa Miles - Executive Director, Brevard Division
Christine Davenport - Executive Director, North Coastal Division
Jan Swink - Executive Director, Treasure Coast Division
Kymberly Cook - Executive Director, Buckner Division
Stephen Bardy - Executive Director, South Coastal Division
Rebecca McGuire - Executive Director, Intercoastal and Southwest Divisions
Jackie Gonzalez - Executive Director, Southeastern Division
Charles McDonald - Executive Director, North Central Division
William "Buster" Coleman - Executive Director, Emerald Coast Division
Cynthia Blacklaw - Vice President of Operations
Anthony K. Sudler - Chief Philanthropy Officer
Regine Cordon - Executive Director, Intercoastal Division
Tim Putman - Executive Director, Western Division
Eliza McCall-Horne, Ph.D. - Executive Director, Greater Lakeland Division
Management Reports to Board?
Yes
CEO Formal Evaluation and Frequency
Yes - Annually
Senior Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency
Yes - Annually
Non Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency
Yes - Annually
Collaborations
Collaborative initiatives are the hallmark of CHS’ current strategic direction and include:
> Trauma Recovery for Youth Center funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, with National
Child Traumatic Stress Network, USF, Florida Mental Health Institute, FamiliesFirst Network, Foster Parent
Assn.
> Ready by 5 for foster children funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, with FSU Center for Prevention and
Early Intervention Policy, FAU, Department of Education, UF Brain Institute, Florida Coalition for Children,
Department of Children and Families.
> Integration of mental health care into services for children birth to five, with FSU Harris Institute for Infant
Mental Health Training.
> In-home foster care diversion/family strengthening programs 1) funded by Community Based Care of
Seminole with Kids House of Seminole, Human Services Associates and 2) funded by and the Jessie Ball
DuPont Fund, with Department of Children and Families and Family Support Services of North Florida.
Affiliations
Child Welfare League - Accredited Member - 1930
National Child Traumatic Stress Network - 2008
AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) - 2004
Council of Accreditation of Child and Family Services, Inc. - 1982
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) - 2007
United Way Member Agency - 1985
National Safe Place - 1989
Alliance for Children and Families - Member - 2010
External Assessments Accreditations
Council on Accreditation (COA) [for Children and Family Services] - Accreditation - 1982
Charity Navigator - 2008
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) - 3 Year Accreditation - 2007
Child Placing Agency - 1990
Awards
Top 100 Companies for Working Families - Orlando Sentinel - 2009
William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Award - Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission - 2009
FCC Dependency Case Manager of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
FCC Social Worker of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
FCC Therapist of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
FCC Volunteer of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
FCC Chairman's Award -- Advocate of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
FCC Ann Bowden Child Advocate Award - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2008
Top 25 Companies to Work for in PR - PR News - 2009
FCC Chairman's Award -- Advocate of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) - 2009
Healthy Families Program of the Year - Healthy Families Florida - 2009
Healthy Families Family Assessment Worker of the Year - Healthy Families Florida - 2009
Top 100 Companies for Working Families - Orlando Sentinel - 2010
Top 100 Companies for Working Families - Orlando Sentinel - 2011
Statewide Community Award - Leadership Florida - 2010
Angel in Adoption - Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute - 2010
FCC Chairman's Award - Advocate of the Year - Florida Coalition for Children - 2009
Adoption Excellence Award: Adoption of Minority Children from Foster Care - United States Department of
Health and Human Services - 2010
Healthiest Employeers - Orlando Business Journal - 2011
Government Licenses
Child Care/Services
Education
Mental Health Care/Facilities
Nondiscrimination Policy Plan
Yes
Whistle Blower Policy Plan
Yes
Document Destruction Policy Plan
Yes
Directors and Officers Insurance Policy
Yes
CEO Comments
Our 15 divisons are under the local direction of skilled, seasoned Executive Directors who are responsible for
the successful delivery of high quality programs in their communities. Our executive team strives to build
strong partnerships with other local entities and develop relationships with local elected officials, legislative
and congressional delegations. Each manages dedicated staff and works closely with volunteers and
community-based board members committed to our mission and vision.
For local contact and management information, including Division Executive Directors and Development
Staff, please visit the webpage of the division serving your county:
Central Florida Division (Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/CentralFlorida.aspx
Mid-Florida Division (Lake County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/Mid-Florida.aspx
Brevard Division (Brevard County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/Brevard.aspx
North Coastal Division (Volusia County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/North-Coastal.aspx
Greater Lakeland (Polk County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/Greater-Lakeland
Local contact and management information for CHS Divisions serving other areas of the state may be found
by visiting http://www.chsfl.org/Locations.
In addition to the above affiliations, CHS is proud to have solid affiliations with Children's Home Society of
America, National Crittenden Foundation and Florida Coalition for Children.
Foundation Staff Comments
Governance
Board Chair
Ms. Vicki L. Weber
Board Chair Company Affiliation
Hopping Green & Sams
Board Chair Term
June 2010 to June 2012
Board Chair Email
[email protected]
Board Members
Richard B. Adams, Jr. - Adams & Adams Law Firm - Voting
Samuel P. Bell, III - Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell - Voting
Dr. Jacqueline Chang - The Chang Group - Voting
Charles L. Cromer - Charles L. Cromer, CPA, PA - Voting
Dan DiGiacomo - CAPTRUST Financial Advisors - Voting
Jeffrey S. Gordon - Syniverse Technologies - Voting
Michele M. Greene - State Farm Insurance - Voting
R. Kent Guinn - Guinn Shields and Company - Voting
Frank Gulisano - Summit Realty - Voting
Eric Jackson - Jones Lang LaSalle - Voting
Dr. Ed. H. Moore - Independent Colleges and University of Florida - Voting
Robert M. Moser - Laird Norton Tyee - Voting
Larisa F. Perry - Wells Fargo/ Wachovia - Voting
Sean Pittman, Esq. - Pittman Law Group - Voting
William D. Preston - William Preston, PA - Voting
Cindy Pullen - Retired, Xerox Corporation - Voting
Marty Rubin - Smart City - Voting
Valerie Seidel - The Balmoral Group - Voting
Victoria L. Weber - Hopping Green, & Sams - Voting
Board Demographics
Ethnicity:
African American/Black: 2
Asian American/Pacific Islander: 0
Caucasian: 16
Hispanic/Latino: 0
Native American/American Indian: 0
Other: 1
Other (if specified):
Gender:
Female: 6
Male: 13
Unspecified: 0
Board Term Lengths
3
Board Term Limits
3
Board Meeting Attendance
73
Written Board Selection Criteria
Yes
Written Conflict Of Interest Policy
Yes
Percentage of Monetary Contributions
90
Percentage of In-Kind Contributions
47
Constituency Includes Client Representation
Yes
Board Co-Chair
Mr. Marty Rubin
Board Co-Chair Company Affiliation
Smart City
Board Co-Chair Term
June 2010 to June 2012
Number of Full Board Meetings Annually
4
Constituent Board Members
Risk Management Provisions
Foster Home Liability
Day Care Center/Nursery School
Accident and Injury Coverage
Automobile Insurance
Automobile Insurance and Umbrella or Excess Insurance
Builders Risk
Business Income
Commercial General Insurance
Commercial General Liability
Commercial General Liability and D and O and Umbrella or Excess and Automobile and Professional
Commercial General Liability and Medical Malpractice
Computer Equipment and Software
Crime Coverage
Directors and Officers Policy
Disability Insurance
Educators Errors and Omission Liability
Employee Benefits Liability
Employee Dishonesty
Employment Practices Liability
Fiduciary Liability
Flood
General Property Coverage
General Property Coverage and Professional Liability
Improper Sexual Conduct/Sexual Abuse
Inland Marine and Mobile Equipment
Internet Liability Insurance
Liquor Liability
Medical Malpractice
Professional Liability
Property in Transit and Off Premises
Public Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Risk Management Provisions
Special Event Liability
Umbrella or Excess Insurance
Workers Compensation and Employers' Liability
Workplace Violence
Life Insurance
Standing Committees
Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts
Audit
Board Governance
Finance
Legislative
Executive
Strategic Planning / Strategic Direction
Additional Board/s Members and Affiliations
Bob Berryhill - Central Florida Division
Jeffrey S. Condello - Central Florida Division
Kari Conley - Central Florida Division
Keith A. Davis - Central Florida Division
Marcia Davis - Central Florida Division
Shelly Driggers - Central Florida Division
Frederic Guitton - Central Florida Division
Bruce Holmes - Central Florida Division
Mary Hurley - Central Florida Division
Scot M. LaFerte - Central Florida Division
Rob Matschner - Moore, Stephens & Lovelace, P.A.
Paul Moses, II
Carolyn Pascal-Guarino - Central Florida Division
Cristin Petroski - Central Florida Division
Valerie Seidel
Jeffrey D. Sharon - Central Florida Division
CEO/Executive Director Comments
As a statewide organization, Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS) is governed by our State Board of
Directors. Members of this fiduciary board continually ensure adherence to our strategic plan and assess
business opportunities. The above-noted Strategic Planning Committee also is charged with risk
management and the Finance Committee oversees CHS real estate.
Each of our 15 divisions across the state has its own fundraising and advocacy board, responsible for
planning and implementing fund development activities, engaging in advocacy efforts, and helping to spread
awareness of the services, needs and impact of CHS in the local community.
All members of each CHS board are volunteers, and each one is critical to our success in protecting children
and strengthening families.
For more information, including company affiliations, on our local boards serving the seven-county Central
Florida region, please visit the following pages:
Central Florida Division (Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/CentralFlorida/Board-of-Directors.aspx
Brevard Division (Brevard County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/Brevard/Division-Board.aspx
Greater Lakeland Division (Polk County): Currently recruiting and building the local board
Mid-Florida Division (Lake County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/Mid-Florida/Volunteers-and-Interns.aspx
North Coastal Division (Volusia County): http://www.chsfl.org/Locations/North-Coastal/Board-ofDirectors.aspx
To view local division board lists from other areas of Florida, please visit http://www.chsfl.org/Locationsand
scroll to view options.
Financials
Fiscal Year
2012
Projected Revenue
$110,464,502
Projected Expenses
$109,776,058
Prior Three Years Total Revenue and Expense Totals Chart
Fiscal Year
2010
2009
2008
Total Revenue
$104,319,533
$104,592,009
$115,075,291
Total Expenses
$103,503,206
$105,390,119
$112,048,450
2009
2008
Prior Three Years Total Revenue Sources Chart
Fiscal Year
2010
Foundation and
Corporation
Contributions
$0
$0
$0
Government
Contributions
$86,258,070
$87,028,402
$92,234,966
-- Federal
$0
$0
$0
-- State
$0
$0
$0
-- Local
$0
$0
$0
-- Unspecified
$86,258,070
$87,028,402
$92,234,966
Individual Contributions $3,769,463
$3,998,818
$8,584,375
Indirect Public Support $2,022,453
$2,324,978
$2,540,851
Earned Revenue
$8,455,520
$7,189,187
$7,662,711
Investment Income,
Net of Losses
$15,297
$218,667
$331,989
Membership Dues
$0
$0
$0
Special Events
$1,201,795
$1,058,240
$1,141,832
Revenue In-Kind
$2,196,944
$2,928,930
$2,259,280
Other
$553,854
$455,231
$585,244
Prior Three Years Expense Allocations Chart
Expense By Type
Fiscal Year
2010
2009
2008
Program Expense
$88,533,825
$89,253,637
$93,316,164
Administration
Expense
$11,001,877
$11,710,854
$14,728,938
Fundraising Expense
$3,967,504
$4,425,628
$4,003,348
Payments to Affiliates
$0
$0
$0
Total Revenue/Total
Expenses
1.01
0.99
1.03
Program
Expense/Total
Expenses
86%
85%
83%
Fundraising
Expense/Contributed
Revenue
4%
5%
4%
Prior Three Years Assets and Liabilities Chart
Assets and Liabilities
Fiscal Year
2010
2009
2008
Total Assets
$85,067,431
$82,918,430
$74,664,979
Current Assets
$27,744,995
$34,027,360
$36,435,465
Long-Term Liabilities
$17,230,014
$19,357,934
$19,958,384
Current Liabilities
$26,700,215
$22,479,847
$20,663,984
Total Net Assets
$41,137,202
$41,080,649
$34,042,611
2010
2009
2008
1.04
1.51
1.76
2010
2009
2008
Long-term
20%
Liabilities/Total Assets
23%
27%
Short Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Current Ratio: Current
Assets/Current
Liabilities
Long Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Prior Three Years Top Three Funding Sources
Top Three Funding Sources
Fiscal Year
2010
2009
2008
Top Funding Source
and Dollar Amount
Government
$86,258,070
Government
$87,028,402
Government
$92,234,966
Second Highest
Funding Source and
Dollar Amount
Earned Revenue
$8,455,520
Earned Revenue
$7,189,187
Individuals,
Foundations,
Corporations
$8,584,375
Third Highest Funding
Source and Dollar
Amount
Individuals,
Foundations,
Corporations
$3,769,463
Individuals,
Foundations,
Corporations
$3,998,818
Earned Income
$7,662,711
Endowment Value
$7,739,367
Spending Policy
Income Only
Are you currently in Capital Campaign?
No
Capital Campaign Purpose
Campaign Goal
-
Capital Campaign Dates
Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Date
Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Amount
Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years?
No
State Charitable Solicitations Permit
Yes Expires Dec 2011
State Registration
Yes
CEO Compensation
$100,001 - $125,000
CEO Comments
Financial information reflects CHS' statewide data, budgets and projections. Because of the economic
environment, CHS incurred significant market losses in our pension plan and interest rate swap. Also as a
result of the recession, we faced a decrease in contributions. However, responsible, strategic management
and fiduciary practices have led to CHS maintaining a positive financial position.
While CHS does not have an endowment at the Community Foundation of Central Florida, we do have
endowments valued at $11.6 million at the Children's Home Society of Florida Foundation, a separate
501(c)(3) created to manage assets and endowments to ensure CHS' long-term vitality. Fulfilling donor intent
is paramount, resulting in investment revenue that benefits the local divisions on a monthly basis and specific
programs per fund instructions. The Foundation's spending allocation is 1.5% of the average market value
for the 36 months prior to and including December 31 for all funds except specific-purpose funds.
Foundation Staff Comments
• Financial figures taken from 990s. 990s and audits are reconciled.
• Contributions from foundations and corporations are included with total for individuals, as they were not
separated in the 990s.
• In-kind contribution revenue includes donated goods and services as reported on the IRS form 990.
• Endowment is not held at the Community Foundation of Central Florida.
Disaster Programs
Is your organization a member of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD)?
Program Name
Program Description
Budget
Category
Population Served
Program Previous Experience
Resources and/or services offered in disaster
Prepared 01.24.2012