How does JAFCO hear about the children?
I know someone who is interested in adopting a child? Can you help them? What about a baby?
Over the years where have the children come from?
Does JAFCO serve only Jewish children?
How do you screen your foster parents? Do you supervise them after they receive a placement?
What are the ages of the children you serve?
How many children live at the JAFCO Children’s Village? Where do they go to school?
What happens when the children turn 18?
Do the children get to visit with their parents?
Are there hands-on volunteer opportunities?
Are there JAFCOs anywhere else in the country?
Are you building a new facility for Autistic Children?
How does JAFCO hear about the children?
While the majority of children are referred to JAFCO through the courts or by state child welfare authorities, referrals are also made by Rabbis, therapists, teachers, neighbors, family members and by parents themselves who are seeking help. JAFCO can help a family in one of two ways: either ordered by the court or voluntarily with the request of the parents.
I know someone who is interested in adopting a child? Can you help them? What about a baby?
Yes. If they live in Florida, all they need to do is call the office (ask for Rebecca Salus, our Adoption Specialist) to get the process started.
Over the years where have the children come from?
Since our inception in 1992, we has served over 3,000 children from all over South Florida in one or more of its 6 programs, in the following average ratios by county: from Broward (44%), from Palm Beach (40%) and from Miami-Dade (15%). 1% of the children have come from other states and countries including New York, Canada and Israel.
Does JAFCO serve only Jewish children?
JAFCO was created to meet an unmet need in the Jewish community related to the care of abused and neglected children. As a Jewish community it is our privilege and our pleasure to help any child in need, because that is what the Jewish community does: we repair the world for everyone.
How do you screen your foster parents? Do you supervise them after they receive a placement?
Our foster parents are trained (for 8 weeks) and screened according to state guidelines which include FBI background checks, employer and personal references, medical and psychological evaluations including drug screens and more. The process takes about 4 months. Once a child is placed with a foster family a JAFCO social worker visits the child at least once per week and offers 24 hour on call support to the foster parents.
Foster parents do not get paid. They do receive a small reimbursement from the state of about $350 per month for food, clothing and childcare expenses. Foster parents must show ample income and financial stability prior to being approved. JAFCO foster parents often choose to use their own money to supplement the needs of the child.
What are the ages of the children you serve?
The children range from 2 days to 21 years of age. If a child is born exposed to drugs they will likely be removed from the birth mother at the hospital and placed in our emergency shelter or foster home program. Our oldest child is in college.
How many children live at the JAFCO Children’s Village? Where do they go to school?
The JAFCO Village can hold up to 52 children: 16 in the shelter and 36 in the 6 group homes. The children attend either local area schools or they are transported by the JAFCO staff to their home schools, sometimes in Boca or Miami Beach. 458 JAFCO Children have found safety at the Weicholz Family Campus of the David Posnack Jewish Children’s Village over the past 5 years.
What happens when the children turn 18?
A child who turns 18 can stay at the Village until the age of 21. JAFCO will support them until the age of 24 if they are in college and will help them move into an apartment or dorm.
Do the children get to visit with their parents?
Yes, we encourage visitation with parents and family members and will supervise the visits if so ordered by the court.
Are there hands-on volunteer opportunities?
Yes. There are volunteer opportunities to work with the children at the Village. For more information contact the office and attend one of our Village Tours to get started. Also our JAFCO Chapters utilize volunteers to raise awareness and funds for JAFCO.
Are there JAFCOs anywhere else in the country?
Currently the JAFCO Jewish Children’s Village is the only one of its kind in the Jewish community in the United States.
Are you building a new facility for Autistic Children?
Yes. We are building a new campus in Sunrise that will provide treatment, support and respite for children with developmental disabilities including autism, intellectual challenges, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and prader willi. We hope to help families who are raising special needs children by giving them support and a much needed break for at least two weeks a year. The campus is being designed now. We need to raise the funds and hopefully it will be completed by the end of 2012. Naming opportunities are now available.
- Volunteer your time with the children, tutoring, mentoring or donating your professional medical, legal or dental services.
- Sponsor an annual JAFCO event including our Black Tie Gala, Women’s Luncheon, Golf Tournament, a child‚s Bar/Bat Mitzvah or birthday party, a Shabbat dinner or a trip to Disney World.
- Become a Godparent by making a financial commitment of $1,800 per year for ten years and join the exclusive JAFCO Godparent Circle. Godparents are pinned at our annual Gala or Luncheon with a beautiful custom made gold pin.
- Make an annual gift to support the children’s needs including food, clothing, therapy, medical care, education, recreation and any other needs they may have.
- Create an endowment in your family name to ensure that JAFCO will be here to save the lives of generations of children to come.
- Make a planned gift – remember the JAFCO children when you are planning your legacy and leave a gift to JAFCO in your will with a gift of cash, stocks or real estate.
- Earn a competitive percentage of your charitable donation with a JAFCO Gift Annuity.
- Host a Parlor Meeting, Dorm Shower or Baby Shower in your home to make your friends aware of the work that JAFCO does in the community. You provide the guest list and the refreshments and JAFCO will take care of the rest. Have your guests become members with a $36.00 gift and fill our wish list
