Backpacks make world of difference for kids entering foster care, expert says

One Longboater's altruism started a chain of giving with Longboat Key Chapel's latest "Gather and Give" fundraiser, and the church hopes that spirit will continue as it gathers backpacks to support the mission of All Star Children's Foundation.

Renee Lynch recently took to Facebook Marketplace to buy two backpacks for the fundraiser. She chatted with the seller about the chapel's efforts when first collecting the bags.

"Then I bought another suitcase from him, and when he came back, he brought a whole bunch and just gave them to me," she said, noting it amounted to nine bags total.

That spirit of kindness is what continues to fuel the work at All Stars. 

Chief advancement officer Stephen Fancher spoke to attendees at the fundraiser, explaining besides key federal, state and county funding, community donations are essential to the staff's efforts to improve the foster care system.

This Sarasota-based organization focuses on early intervention for children entering the system. Fancher described how its innovative approach to meeting kids' needs is revolutionizing the system and inspiring similar efforts across the country.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Fancher is no stranger to Longboat Key Chapel, where he often plays the piano with the choir.

He said this drive specifically focuses on backpacks so incoming kids can have something more personal and durable to hold the few belongings they take from a bad situation, belongings which often end up in garbage bags as the kids move from place to place.

Officials try to only remove kids from home as a last resort, after trying to find a placement with a family member or other remedy, Fancher said. But sometimes it is unavoidable.

He said kids often go through secondary trauma when they have to leave their homes with no notice, get in a police car, and often separate from their siblings. But when they get to the All Star campus, they take the first step toward healing.

"When they show up here, they get to move into a gorgeous, 3,000-square-foot, fully furnished building, where we have full-time foster parents living in the homes," he said.

All 30 beds in the six residential homes are currently full, but the campus continues to offer outpatient services to the community.

Whether they eventually return to their original home or go on to a new foster family, they can take comfort in packing their own bags to take with them.

"This is the first step into foster care for them, and you guys are providing like a warm blanket," he said. "It's going to make them feel like someone cares about them. They need to feel honored and loved and cherished and revered."

Origins 

Co-founder and board chair Graci McGillicuddy's inspiration to become a child advocate came in 1986 after reading news coverage of a horrific abuse case.

While she served on several child advocacy committees statewide and nationally, McGillicuddy always envisioned a place right in Sarasota that would serve the needs of kids who couldn't speak up for themselves.

The foundation has continued to grow since its inception, celebrating the grand opening of its campus in November 2021. 

It includes an onsite Pediatric Mental Health Treatment and Research Center that Fancher said does the important work of assessing what happened to an incoming child, but also the effects of that trauma and what help he or she needs to move forward.

"We have become one of the nation's leading experts in working with kids who have been through chronic, severe trauma," he said.

Fancher noted the center is still relatively new and doesn't yet have the volume of research needed to offer statistically significant data. However, the center is collecting detailed data and seeing encouraging insights about what is most helpful to the kids.

"Because we're following these trauma-informed principles and practices with the kids who live on our campus and the kids in the community, their trauma symptoms are going down," he said. "Their ability to actually be placed in a stable, permanent home is going up. We're providing better outcomes."

All Star is already consulting on similar services in Miami and California.

"Our model that's based here in little old Sarasota is now creating models and services that can be replicated around the country," he said.

Ultimately, the staff hopes to help as many children as possible find healthy, permanent living situations.

While there is a significant need to support "high acuity" children, or those who tend to be older and require more financial investment to support as they navigate their trauma, Fancher said they've learned it is essential that support staff also get the resources to help younger kids if the community hopes to effectively break the cycle.

All Star's 26 full-time employees take on a lot. But the rewards of that work are beyond description, said Fancher, who looks forward to soon attending the adoption ceremony of two children with whom he worked.

"That's a success story," he said.

The chapel is collecting backpacks for the rest of the month. Call 941-383-6491 with questions.