Cynthia Shafer has been named the Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade Marshall after a public, online vote. A veteran Guardian ad Litem, Voices for Kids Board member and past Board President, Ms. Shafer has dedicated her life to advocating for children, and VFK’s Bedz for Kidz program, which she founded and continues to manage often, enlisting her husband, John.

Read the full story at the News Press:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120217/SS07/302170006/1075

Sign up for the newsletter through the web site: http://www.guardianadlitem.org/att_main.asp

Yolanda Beckworth, President, Grandparents Returning into Parenting (GRIP), Ol'geta Beckworth Foundation, supports Voices for Kids’ effort to provide a voice for 100% of children.

If you have one hour, come hear about how you can help! New one-hour orientations are open to Florida residents at least 21 years old, and others interested in the Program.

Port Charlotte 1-Hr. Orientation

Call Emily at 941-627-0643 for information and to reserve your spot!

LaBelle 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Angela Boykin at 863-674-4190 for information and to reserve your spot!

Fort Myers 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Mary Ann at 239-995-3737 for information and to reserve your spot!

North Naples 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Donna at 239-776-4734 for information and to reserve your spot!
It’s only ONE hour! Details of duties and time involved will be given.

Bank Chairman and CEO Gary Tice, Collier Volunteer Recruiter Donna Kordek, VFK Board VP Kathleen Davey, VFK Board President Shawn Seliger, Bank Marketing Director Heather Tice, Bank President and State Senator Garrett Richter

The Third Annual Charity Golf Tournament held by First National Bank of the Gulf Coast at Hideout Golf Club brought $56, 743.00 split evenly between Voices for Kids of Southwest Florida and Eden Autism Services Florida. Champions of local children, First National’s previous golf tournaments have benefited other charities helping children.

“The generosity of so many will make a difference in the lives of children and families in our community,” said President Garrett Richter when presenting a ceremonial check to Voices for Kids of Southwest Florida. “We are delighted with the success of this year’s tournament,” he continued. “It was bigger and better than we had anticipated, and that is thanks to the hard work and dedication of our bank employees. Each and every employee worked diligently to secure sponsorships, raffle prizes and golfers to help raise money for these two charities.”

Last year’s First National Bank of the Gulf Coast’s golf tournament raised $37,000 for Youth Haven and the Foster Care Council of Southwest Florida. The inaugural year of the tournament in 2009 raised $21,000 for the Ricky King Fund and Laces of Love.

“Each year our tournament has grown in size and popularity, and we are sincerely hoping this trend continues for our 2012 tournament,” said Marketing Director Heather Tice.

First National Bank of the Gulf Coast will hold their Fourth Annual Charity Golf Tournament next October 13, 2012 at Hideout Golf Club in Naples. Recipient charities have yet to be selected.

It has been nearly a year since Nubia Barahona, a beautiful 10-year-old girl from Miami, was found dead in her father’s truck off of I-95 in Palm Beach County on Valentine’s Day. It’s difficult to describe the impact her death has had on so many.

Every time an innocent child dies, we all suffer from the loss of dreams and wishes that will never be pursued. However, this death highlighted numerous issues in our child welfare system that needed to be addressed in order to drastically improve the overall child protection program. The governor and I pledged we would deliver an improvement plan that would address these issues quickly and thoroughly with an appropriate redesign of the investigative process.

Over the past 10 months, the Department of Children & Families implemented recommendations developed both by an independent task force as well as the Miami-Dade grand jury. A complete legislative package was prepared to establish a true front-end capability for the child protection investigation function that we believe will be a national standard.

The legislative package has two components: To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the investigative process through changes to our child protection law and to redesign the career model and operating processes including performance management of the child protective investigators. HB 803 and its companion bill, SB 2044, clarify language to provide for a family safety framework for investigators that will improve and standardize our processes statewide.

To address professionalization and retention of investigators, the department seeks an increase in salaries, establishment of a career ladder and approved credentialing, training and implementation of law enforcement best practices. Funding is requested for 120 additional investigative staff and supervisors along with appropriate salary increases and performance definitions for career advancement. We’re also seeking an appropriation to implement critical training and technology efficiencies that will improve the delivery of services to our children and families.

We’re not asking lawmakers for a handout. In the past year, we have shifted time, money and resources to lower administrative costs and to afford these investments while increasing our focus on the most critical job we face – saving lives and making futures brighter.

Implementation of these recommendations will dramatically improve the child protection system and provide a more seamless and focused system to allow investigators to make the critical, real-time decisions necessary to save children’s lives. To do anything less would only compound the tragedy of Nubia’s death.

We encourage everyone to review the steps we are taking to ensure family safety. Go to www.dcf.state.fl.us and click on the “Protecting Children” button for more information
David Wilkins, secretary, DCF, Tallahassee

Read more here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/28/2612120/dcf-improvements-on-the-horizon.html#storylink=cpy

If you have one hour, come hear about how you can help! New one-hour orientations are open to Florida residents at least 21 years old, and others interested in the Program.

Port Charlotte 1-Hr. Orientation

Call Emily at 941-627-0643 for information and to reserve your spot!

LaBelle 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Angela Boykin at 863-674-4190 for information and to reserve your spot!

Fort Myers 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Mary Ann at 239-995-3737 for information and to reserve your spot!

North Naples 1-Hr. Orientations

Call Donna at 239-776-4734 for information and to reserve your spot!

It’s only ONE hour! Details of duties and time involved will be given.