News & Updates
Connect with The Libertore Fund for Children in Central Florida and the Florida Suncoast to improve at-risk children’s quality of life with the tools they need to succeed.
If you are a partner agency and would like to share an event or contribution update, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
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The children that find forever homes are blessed, but I believe that the adoptive parents receive the most blessings. All families benefit differently because each family is unique, but there is no doubt that an adopted child will enrich the lives of all family members by filling the home with life, love, laughter, new adventures, and challenges, too. Adoption can be a scary endeavor, but it is a blessing for both the child and the parent(s). I know, I adopted my son when he was 2 years old (he is now 39) and have enjoyed so many blessing over all these years. What children bring to the home, besides some challenges, are arms to hug, a mouth to kiss, words to say, “I need you, I love you, thank you for giving me a home, teach me, play with me, fight for me”. Adoption isn’t always an easy adjustment to your life and your family's, but once you make the adjustment, it is so worthwhile.
Considering adoption? Reach out to professionals and other adoptive parents, do your research and let your heart lead you.
There is a tremendous need for foster parents as well as adoptive parents to step forward for those children seeking stable, loving homes. The Heart Gallery exists to bring efficiency, and innovation to the foster and adoption process. In 2020, Matthew Straeb, President of the Heart Gallery of Sarasota designed and implemented digital software and proposed a statewide digital transformation for foster parent recruitment practices and it passed both house and senate appropriations. Read more, here.
Check out the Family Finder, and learn more about our agency partner The Heart Gallery of Sarasota.
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Summer Fun Ideas For Every Family!
Summer is a great time to create family fun memories. We've collected a lot of ideas that are inexpensive or free for your family. Making a plan for weekly activities will make it easier to be prepared to do the activities. Include the kids in the planning and gathering what is needed for the week.
For example: Monday – water play (make a water blob), Tuesday – science experiment (make a volcano), Wednesday – kids cook dinner, Saturday – field trip to the farmer’s market, the park, a museum, etc.
Here are just a few summer fun ideas to make those memories with your kids and grandchildren.
- Visit a local farmers' market: Feast on the fruits and veggies of the season and enjoy a few locally-made treats
- Collect rocks and paint them: Turn them into pet rocks, garden ornaments, kindness rocks, or gifts for family members
- Create a treasure hunt: Do it on your own property or around town
Get the Full List Here
Children Still Waiting For Summer Scholarships
Summer is a fun time for many kids and families, but not all children are fortunate enough to enjoy vacations, fun excursions and free time with family and friends. Parents still have to work and often they are unable to afford a day camp to send their child(ren) to during the day. At LibFund, we know it is important for kids to continue learning, socializing and being safe. That is why we fund summer scholarships for children to attend safe, caring places where they can thrive like the Boys & Girls Clubs and Girls Inc, and parents are able to work without worrying about their children being home alone.
We want to continue providing scholarships and you can help by donating and choosing scholarships for After School & Summer Youth Programs.
Help Send A Child To Summer Camp
Happy Father's Day, Dads!
"The Imprint of a father remains forever on the life of a child.” - Roy Lessin
Involved fatherhood is linked to better outcomes on nearly every measure of child wellbeing, from cognitive development and educational achievement to self-esteem and pro-social behavior stated by Child & Family Research Partnership in Texas.
https://www.fatherhoodresourcehub.org/pdf/CFRP_2017TexasFatherhoodSummit_DataWalk_copyright1.pdf
A Safe Haven For Newborns - Partner Spotlight
We are proud to partner with A Safe Haven for Newborns. A Safe Haven is just as its name implies, a safe haven for newborn babies to be dropped off when the mother finds herself in a situation where she cannot keep the baby. The Safe Haven partners statewide where the babies can be dropped off without any questions are hospitals, fire departments/EMS and ambulances.
They also assist pregnant girls and women in the form of referrals to counseling, shelters, maternity homes, providing temporary housing, help for abuse issues, providing baby items, connection to Medicaid, and recently assisted a woman considering suicide. They offer service hours for students and they can live anywhere to earn them.
”We cannot save every infant and guide every troubled mother, but we can make a difference for as many as possible, and WE WILL NEVER STOP TRYING.” - Nick Silverio, Founder
June Is Child Vision Awareness Month
There are over 5 million elementary-aged children with vision problems. Children with vision problems run the risk of serious academic, health, and social problems when left undetected or untreated.
Steps parents can take if they suspect their child has vision problems.
- Children should have their vision/eyes screened by their pediatrician at every well-child visit
- Pay attention to your child’s eyes: holding things too close, complaints about vision, or eyes that look different than normal should prompt a visit to the eye doctor
- Early signs of glaucoma in the first few years of life include bigger eyes, cloudy eyes, sensitivity to light, and tearing
The Libertore Fund for Children has partnered with the Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center serving the Southwest Florida area. For children, the Lighthouse Center focuses on children ages 6 to 13 years old who are visually impaired. Lighthouse offers a multitude of services at no cost, including daily living skills, assistive technology, mobility training, and social skills, that parents can depend on to ensure that developmental milestones are met to help them succeed in life, foster independence, and decision making.
- Build on social and technical skills learned in school
- Develop communication skills in children who are diagnosed with vision loss
- Prepare students with independent living and social skills to be more successful in all aspects of their lives
Help Children With Vision Loss, Donate Today!
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There are over 5 million elementary-aged children with vision problems. Children with vision problems run the risk of serious academic, health, and social problems when left undetected or untreated.
Steps parents can take if they suspect their child has vision problems.
- Children should have their vision/eyes screened by their pediatrician at every well-child visit
- Pay attention to your child’s eyes: holding things too close, complaints about vision, or eyes that look different than normal should prompt a visit to the eye doctor
- Early signs of glaucoma in the first few years of life include bigger eyes, cloudy eyes, sensitivity to light, and tearing
The Libertore Fund for Children has partnered with the Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center serving the Southwest Florida area. For children, the Lighthouse Center focuses on children ages 6 to 13 years old who are visually impaired. Lighthouse offers a multitude of services at no cost, including daily living skills, assistive technology, mobility training, and social skills, that parents can depend on to ensure that developmental milestones are met to help them succeed in life, foster independence, and decision making.
- Build on social and technical skills learned in school
- Develop communication skills in children who are diagnosed with vision loss
- Prepare students with independent living and social skills to be more successful in all aspects of their lives
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Summer is a fun time for many kids and families, but not all children are fortunate enough to enjoy vacations, fun excursions, and free time with family and friends. Parents still have to work and often they are unable to afford a day camp to send their child(ren) to during the day. At LibFund, we know it is important for kids to continue learning, socializing, and being safe. That is why we fund summer scholarships for children to attend safe, caring places where they can thrive like the Boys & Girls Clubs and Girls Inc, and parents are able to work without worrying about their children being home alone.
We want to continue providing scholarships and you can help by donating and choosing scholarships for After School & Summer Youth Programs.
Help Send A Child To Summer Camp
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Summer is a great time to create family fun memories. We've collected a lot of ideas that are inexpensive or free for your family. Making a plan for weekly activities will make it easier to be prepared to do the activities. Include the kids in the planning and gathering of what is needed for the week.
For example on Monday – water play (make a water blob), Tuesday – science experiment (make a volcano), Wednesday – kids cook dinner, Saturday – field trip to the farmer’s market, the park, a museum, etc.
Here are just a few summer fun ideas to make those memories with your kids and grandchildren.
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Visit a local farmers' market. Feast on the fruits and veggies of the season and enjoy a few locally-made treats.
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Grow fresh herbs in containers. Use old coffee cans, milk jugs, mason jars, plastic cups, or anything else you have around the house. Keep your herb garden on a patio or windowsill.
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Research and make a food chart of healthy foods.
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Let the kids cook dinner. Have them plan the menu and shop for the ingredients. (This would be a good time to learn about budgeting. They have so much money for groceries for dinner and they have to stay within the budget.) Then allow them to cook dinner for the family.
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Build a Lego castle or put together a puzzle. Clear off a table or use a card table and make it a family project. Work on it all summer.
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Hold marble races. Use an old pool noodle as the track. Simply cut it in half, making two tracks of equal length. Then, race the marbles down the tracks to see who has the fastest one.
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Make paper airplanes. See whose airplane goes the farthest.
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Play a card game. Choose from crazy eights, spoons, go fish, or even poker. Take your pick. Or buy a board game for the family to enjoy.
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Play charades.
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Go to a flea market or garage sale. See if the kids are better negotiators than you. Another opportunity to learn about budgeting and money.
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Get a book of riddles. See if you can stump each other; then write your own riddles.
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Read a chapter book aloud. Plan to read a chapter or more a night. You can even read a whole series together.
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Perform science experiments together.
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Collect rocks and paint them. Turn them into pet rocks, garden ornaments, or gifts for family members.
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Create a summer mural. Stretch a long piece of white craft paper across a wall or on the floor in the basement or garage and create a family mural. Include hand-drawn, painted, or colored pictures of your summer activities. Work on it all summer, adding to it little by little.
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Hold a photoshoot. Plan different outfits and poses and take pictures outside or around town. Older kids and teens can then edit the photos on a computer.
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Put on your own dramatic performance. Write a script, make costumes, or just do a little improv.
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String beads or pasta. Just use yarn or string. This is a good time to learn about measuring. How long does the string need to be to fit a wrist, a neck, etc. If using pasta tubes, paint them first.
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Create a treasure hunt. Do it on your own property or around town. Change things up a little and make it a photo scavenger hunt where the kids need to take photos either with their phones or disposable cameras of various things on the list. Examples might include: Take a picture of a flower. Take a photo of something red.
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Make a water blob. If you don't have a pool in your backyard or neighborhood, make your own water blob! With just a roll of heavy-duty plastic sheeting or plastic shower curtain, some duct tape, and a hose, you can create a giant pillow made of water. More fun water activities at https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/water-activities-for-kids-to-beat-the-heat-at-home/
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Make a bucket list of things to do this summer. Check out ideas on this site: https://redtri.com/things-to-do-with-kids-during-summer-vacation/slide/1
https://www.thoughtco.com/top-chemistry-projects-for-bored-kids-604324
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Free educational sites for summer ideas:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/summer-fun-ideas-kids-and-parents-3542627
https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-free-educational-websites-for-kids-3129084
https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/summer-activities-for-kids/
https://www.cademuseum.org/cade-activities.html
https://funcheaporfree.com/100-summer-activities-for-kids-free-printable-included/
