Foster Parents
A Multitude of Resources and Support for Foster Parents.
Foster Parent Training
This is a collection of on-going trainings to help educate and equip our foster caregivers to best serve our youth in care.
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Trust Based Relational Intervention:
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Co-Parenting: What Foster Parents Need to Know
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DCF My FL Learn - The My FL Learn training portal is available to all DCF staff, community partners and stakeholders. This portal offers a vast selection of free training opportunities ranging from child welfare content to personal development.
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CPR and First Aid Training - Fees are the responsibility of the attendee.
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Sunshine Health: Florida Child Welfare Caregiver Webinar Series - offers free expert training webinars to Florida's caregivers. Click the link below to see what trainings are next.
Foster Parent
Support Groups
TLC is a supportive community of foster, adoptive, relative/non-relative caregivers, and youth in independent living. They come together for monthly support groups, free dinners, trainings and free childcare. There is also a clothing closet and small food pantry.
Location: Trinity Baptist Church, 6633 Old Rd. 37, Lakeland, FL 33811
When: 3rd Friday of each month - clothing and food donations at 5:30PM; Dinner at 6PM and Training at 7PM
Questions: Contact Lori Chapman Peacock: loriapeacocktlc@gmail.com or call 813-892-3016
Website: https://tlcfamilies.org/
Facebook: TLC Association, Inc
Charlie Health offers free Parent Support Groups for parents, grandparents or guardians of teens, young adults, LGBTQIA+, Parent Support for Families of Color, El Grupo de Cuidores en Espanol and Neurodivergent youth.
Foster the Family offers monthly support groups to any and all foster, adoptive & kinship parents. The in-person support group includes a video training and guided small-group discussion. Childcare available upon request.
Where: The King’s Church, 730 Florida Ave South, Lakeland 33801
When: 4th Monday of each month at 6:30PM
Led by Karen Booker: 609-685-5502, Karen.booker@fosterthefamily.org
Website: Foster The Family | Groups: Florida
A welcoming space for relative and non-relative caregivers who are caring for children the second time around. It is a time for connection, camaraderie, and sharing among fellow “Grands”.
Website: Worthy & Known Family Project
What: Private Facebook Group to find answers to questions and support.
Who: Any & all foster and adoptive parents in Polk County
Where: Facebook - Click link here
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Groups are led by certified Family Support Specialists
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Groups take place on a monthly basis
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Different themes are discussed in each group
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All groups are delivered live online
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Groups count for hours needed for foster care licensing requirements
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All families in attendance will be eligible for a $25 Amazon Gift Card raffle
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Kin Connect is a time for relative caregivers to come together and walk away with tools for the kids in their care. Join them for support and information on managing the challenges that come with kinship caregiving.
Community Resources & Helpful Links
This local nonprofit helps meet the tangible needs of children in foster care through their ECHO shops which allow children and families to get the items they need such as clothing, diapers, wipes, backpacks, hygiene products and more for free.
Find Help
Looking for resources or programs near you? Visit heartland.findhelp.com for a searchable database–simply enter your zip code to find programs and services near YOU!
Hope Florida connects people to local resources through a caring Hope Navigator who helps create a personalized path toward stability and independence. Support is available for single parents, youth aging out of foster care, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and more.
Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland
The Early Learning Coalition (ELC) helps ensure young children in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties have access to high-quality early education programs. These programs offer caring teachers, creative experiences, and supportive environments that help children get ready for school success.
Early Learning Coalition of Polk County
Foster parents are offered subsidized day care through the Early Learning Coalition (ELC). Are your foster kids having trouble at their daycare? Before getting kicked out, the caregiver or case manager can call ELC Interventionist, Saisha Sanchez,
863-508-2037 x 225 or email saishasanchez@elcpolk.org.
Advanced Care Partners is a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) facility that is located in Bartow where they care for children with special needs.
GenCare Kids is a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) facility that has centers in Lakeland, Haines City, and Kissimmee where they care for children with special needs.
Children’s Clothes Closet at First United Methodist Church of Lakeland
Only case managers are allowed to put in requests and come to pick up clothes for children on their caseload. Pick-ups are on Mondays from 1PM to 4PM and Wednesdays from 9:30AM to 1PM. They even have plenty of school uniforms available! Foster parents, if you would like some clothes or school uniforms for your foster children, let your case manager know so that they can put in a request!
Assists parents and schools with the early identification of children, birth through age 21, who have or are at risk of having a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). FDLRS Child Find provides diagnostic screening, placement coordination, training, and support to parents of young children who have or are at risk of developing disabilities.
Early Steps is Florida's early intervention system that offers services to eligible infants and toddlers, age birth to 36 months, who have or are at-risk for developmental disabilities or delays.
Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a foster care model that uses family therapy to help stabilize youth and support quicker, lasting permanency. It works with foster parents and youth together to build strong family connections and handle everyday problems. FFT also involves permanency families early on to encourage healthy contact and reunification. By coordinating other treatments within the FFT approach, it reduces confusion, lowers stigma, and keeps families engaged in the process, making it easier for everyone to work together.
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is available to you, please contact your Licensing Specialist for more information.
The Head Start program provides intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to enrolled children, pregnant women and families. Head Start serves families with children ages 3 to 5. Early Head Start serves families with children under the age of 3 and pregnant women.
Scholarship for VPK and Elementary School Students needing academic support. Funds can be used for various educational resources to improve reading or math skills, such as part-time tutoring, summer or after-school programs, and instructional materials, including books and technology.
Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI)
QPI, the Quality Parenting Initiative, is a national movement for foster care change, made up of a network of states, counties and private agencies committed to ensuring that all children in care have excellent parenting and lasting relationships so they can thrive and grow.
Real Life Summer Camp and Christmas Camp
Summer camp is a week-long camp experience, packed with fun activities, powerful messages, amazing worship band, intentional discipleship, beautiful scenery and more for kids ages 12-18 and it is FREE for kids in foster care! Christmas camp is a free three-day event for boys and girls in foster care ages 10-18 and young people adopted out from foster care.
Sunshine Health – Pathway to Shine
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Care Grants - Up to $150 per child per year for services and supplies for social or physical activities, such as gym membership, swim lessons, sports equipment, art supplies and application fees for post high school education.
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$50 Over-The-Counter Benefit - Provides $50 per month to buy products like cough, cold and allergy medications, first aid supplies and vitamins.
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Sunshine Health offers a limited number of Orthodontic Grants for youth enrolled in the Sunshine Health Pathway to Shine Specialty Plan during certain windows throughout the year. Reach out to Danielle Corbin at Danielle.L.Corbin@sunshinehealth.com with “Ortho Grant” in the subject line.
Teen Reach Adventure Camp (TRAC)
TRAC is an all-boys and all-girls 3-day overnight camp experience that offers hope and encouragement to youth in foster care between the ages of 12 to 15 years old.
Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.
Connect with Amberlee Rogers, Worthy & Known Family Project Program Director
Email: amberlee@worthyandknownfp.org | Phone: 863-443-0448
United Way's Children's Resource Center
This community-based learning and resource center provides classes, playgroups, workshops, developmental checkups, community activities, and support for parents and caregivers of children aged 0-6, as well as for expectant moms and dads. They strive to make childhood a happy, healthy, and wholesome experience for every child and parent in Polk County.
This vital service connects millions of people to help every year. To get expert, caring help, simply call 211 or visit 211.org
Check out our Resource Page with a comprehensive list of the providers we work with to serve children and families.