Hibiscus Children’s Center Supporting Families in Crisis Program Helping Families
Jackie Lindgren, SFC Family Advocate
Hibiscus Children’s Center has provided life-saving services to abused children across the Treasure Coast for 35 years through our residential programs. Supporting Families in Crisis (SFC) Program is Hibiscus’ voluntary prevention program that focuses on assisting families with the goal of keeping children out of the child welfare system. SFC serves over 650 children and families annually in St. Lucie County and currently, has a 100% success rate in keeping children out of the system during and one-year post services.
The SFC Program addresses whatever crisis a family may have that if not addressed, could cause the removal of children from their homes. Meet Tabatha (*name changed for privacy), a single mother of three who contacted Hibiscus for assistance. The family had been homeless and living in their car and occasionally, the children slept at different relatives homes. Tabatha was desperate for a stable and secure home for her children. Living out of their car and staying in various homes made finding employment and sending the children to school very difficult, on top of the obvious hardships they were experiencing. When Tabatha reached out to SFC, a Hibiscus Family Advocate immediately discussed her situation and the resources available to assist her family. An assessment was completed and a plan was put into place to help the family move forward.
The Family Advocate was able to help secure an apartment for the famly and SFC provided the initial funds needed to get Tabatha setup with utilities and first month’s rent. In addition, the Family Advocate assisted Tabatha in obtaining employment and getting the children enrolled into school right away. The Hibiscus Treasure House was able to provide several necessities that the family needed for their new residence. The thrift store donated beds, furniture, household goods, clothing for Tabatha and her children, dishes and other kitchen items. Tabatha has expressed several times to the Famly Advocate, “We are so grateful to Hibiscus for their generosity. I would never have been able to do all this on my own.”
Hibiscus Children’s Center is delighted that Tabatha is now working full-time, the children are doing well in school and the family is in a stable and safe environment, moving forward in life towards a better tomorrow.
For more information about Hibiscus Children’s Center’s services, please visit us at: HibiscusChildrensCenter.org or call the Hibiscus Supporting Families in Crisis Program at (772) 340-5750, ext. 422. This program is also generously supported, in part, by the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County and United Way of St. Lucie County with additional support from grants and the community. Asking for help is a sign of strength!
