KIDS VILLAGE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

Kids Village provides a safe and nurturing home for foster children healing from abuse and neglect and abandonment. This healing environment helps to restore childhood for our residents by not only providing the behavioral, emotional and therapeutic programs and services they need, but by also creating a sense of stability and normalcy.

Located on our beautiful private campus in west Hillsborough County, Kids Village offers residential programs serving males and females, ages 12-17, as well as children under the age of 12 who are in need of evidence-based clinical and prevention interventions to help them manage their trauma. Our programs also address their mental health and developmental needs.

Residents of Kids Village are housed in designated cottage-style homes for male and female residents. Each cottage features a kitchen and a large dining room for family-style meals. Multiple “family rooms” equipped with comfortable furnishings, books, and electronics help to create a sense of belonging and comfort.

Each cottage houses up to 12 children. Depending on their need, each child will either share a room or have their own bedroom. All bedrooms feature a private bathroom. The cottages are overseen by caregivers who receive extensive training so they are able to meet the children where they are and help guide them in their healing journey.

Residents also have access to a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, gymnasium, art studio, state-of the-art learning center and chapel. Kids Village is conveniently located close to the public schools our children attend, medical facilities, shopping, entertainment and employment opportunities.

CHN was founded in 1892 to provide a safe and loving home for foster children. For more than a 130 years, an unwavering dedication to serving children continues to drive our mission. That passion, along with a commitment to excellence, drives innovation and has positioned CHN as a recognized leader in the field by creating life-changing programs to serve the emerging and unmet needs of children in foster care.

IMPACT

The goals of CHN residential services include promoting normalcy, educational success, stability and permanency. Our impact during FY 21-22 includes:

98% of all children and youth remain stable in Kids Village and AIM until transitioning to permanency or another planned and appropriate living situation.
100% of all children and youth served are enrolled in an educational program within 10 days of their arrival and 100% were promoted to the next grade level.
91% of all youth express satisfaction with CHN following their transition from Kids Village.

WHAT OUR YOUTH SAY ABOUT CHN:

“If I can’t go home I want to just stay here, I like it here”

“this is the first placement that has actually treated me like a girl”

WHAT OUR STAFF SAY ABOUT CHN:

“I am able to be creative with the youth and provide a fun outlook on life”

“You can see just the positive moral as you walk around and talk with staff, that speaks a lot for a place of work”

KIDS VILLAGE DEVELOPMENTAL SUPPORT PROGRAM

The Children’s Home Network is champion for children in need of healing residential foster care and of meeting the unique and otherwise unmet needs of children in our community. Consistent with this commitment, CHN recognizes that the prevalence of developmental and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses among children has dramatically increased in recent history. According to the CDC, approximately 1 in every 150 children was identified with ASD in 2002; however, statistics now indicate that about 1 in 44 children have been identified with this diagnosis. Other CDC statistics indicate that ASD is reported across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, although it is four (4) times more common among boys than girls. Lastly, according to the CDC, about 1 in 6 (17%) children aged 3–17 years were diagnosed with a developmental disability, as reported by parents, during a study period of 2009-2017. These included autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, blindness, and cerebral palsy, among others.

This concerning trend has also significantly impacted foster care and it is also reported that children with autism are 2.4 times more likely to enter foster care than their peers. The reasons for this vary with one exception: “autism is a diagnosis that is difficult to understand and to manage in a child. It takes patience, education, and training, and many parents are simply not prepared for the unique challenges of raising an autistic child. This has the potential to lead to abuse and results in the children being removed from the home and placed in foster care.” (David Mandell, professor of pediatric psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and adoption.com)

Consistent with our mission to expand services that meet the unmet needs of children in foster care, CHN responded to these trends and recognized an overarching and statewide deficiency of meaningful and accessible services for children in foster care that are diagnosed with ASD or other developmental disorders. While traditional therapy may not be as effective for these children, behavior interventions – specifically Applied Behavior Analysis – has proven to be of great value when addressing and shaping a child’s behavior, communication, emotional regulation and feelings of accomplishment.

CHN’s Developmental Support Program is located on our Hillsborough County campus and our children reside in a designated cottage on campus. Most rooms have its own private bathroom and is fully equipped with individual beds, dressers, wardrobes and desks, as well as safety measures. Depending on the needs of the child, our youth may share a room or have their own room. The home has two large family rooms, a dining room, central kitchen and laundry equipment. The overall atmosphere is cozy, homey and safe.

Every youth receives trauma informed clinical and behavioral interventions to assist them with managing their developmental needs, traumatic experiences and mental health needs while also teaching them positive and safe social, resiliency and communication skills. While some children are considered to have ASD or other developmental challenges, those needs have never been formally assessed or diagnoses; therefore CHN’s clinical team and psychiatrist administers the required assessments needed. Additionally, children in foster care are at risk of sexual exploitation and harm and youth with developmental needs are also vulnerable to harm and need protection and skills to keep them safe.

CHN’S DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES INCLUDE:

CARS – 2 assessment
Trauma Focused, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT),
Behavior Health Overlay Services (BHOS),
Applied Behavior Analysis/Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS)
On-site psychiatric care
On-site nursing care
On-site state of the art learning center with tutoring and educational support

Prevention and educational curriculum, Born 2 Fly, an anti-trafficking intervention intended to reach and educate children on how to identify and prevent exploitation before it begins. Born 2 Fly is comprised of two curriculum designed to educate children ages 12 or younger older youth age 13+.

Behavioral services are delivered by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT’s) while our clinical services are delivered by Master’s Level clinicians and the program is overseen by a licensed clinician. Caregivers receive intensive pre and in-service training on evidence based behavior and developmental interventions and trauma informed care. As stated, our developmental youth are also considered ‘at-risk’ for human trafficking and they participate in Born 2 Fly, a human trafficking education and prevention program.

CHN’s Developmental Support Program offers a robust clinical and social environment for children with developmental, sensory, social and other special needs to thrive and heal, promoting positive daily living and positive social skills within a supportive program. Our team works closely with the child’s family, case managers and child welfare and community partners to support the overarching case goals and to help the child maintain significant connections in their lives until they transition to a permanent living arrangement.

WHO WE HELP:

Children with developmental needs or who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including children that are in need of assessment and evaluation for these needs

Youth with developmental needs that have a demonstrated a need for a living environment that provides specialized treatment and interventions, training and guidance in helping them develop safe and positive social and daily living skills while they learn to regulate and manage their emotional and behavioral needs

Children that require a higher level of supervision, daily living skill support, on-site behavior analysis and psychiatric care

Youth that do not present with potentially violent or unmanageable aggressive behaviors towards caregivers or other youth, including sexual aggression

HOW TO MAKE A REFERRAL

Call Kids Village at 813-864-1404 during business hours, M-F 8:30-5:00 PM or email Bfratto@childrenshomenetwork.org or call the Kids Village Administrator On Call at 813-416-4435.

Our Intake Specialist will ask a series of questions to establish preliminary eligibility.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Children’s Home Network is committed to restoring the childhoods for every youth residing in Kid Village. Therefore we prioritize providing youth with experiential opportunities in the community such as sporting events, extracurricular sports/cheerleading, theme parks and local beaches and parks to name a few. Or goal is for youth to have and maintain personal items that enhance their self-esteem and sense of self and that their individuality is celebrated.

To accomplish these goals, CHN welcomes donations of new clothing to include hygiene, developmental toys, games and equipment – or donations to purchase child specific items when needed, and other personal items that restore a sense of normalcy and personal pride. Kids Village welcomes volunteers to sponsor events, maintain landscaping and our campus, sponsorships to social and educational events and hosting on-site social events such as BBQ’s, holiday parties, arts and crafts, Yoga, etc. To get involved contact Lauren Miller at lmiller@childrenshomenetwork.org.