The Suncoast Voices for Children Board of Directors is pleased to announce our VIRTUAL Fifth Annual Gala event, to be held Saturday, October 3, 2020.  We will still make this a fun evening for you as we stand up for children in these unprecedented times.  We are glad to have provided over 3,500 services last year for abused and neglected children from birth to young adulthood, from diapers, beds and car seats to bikes, laptops and educational opportunities.  We have also launched new programs to provide even more services this year, including Safe With Family Project to serve Pasco County and Opportunity Passport, a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to provide the gold standard in financial literacy for young people who grew up in foster care.  

With the COVID-19 pandemic, demand is skyrocketing in every area.  For instance, beds are critical, as they allow children to be placed with protective, Sheriff-approved family members, which keeps children in their communities and schools and dramatically improves their outcomes compared to foster care.  Safe beds for each child are also a critical safety resource, reducing sexual abuse and preventing co-sleeping and asphyxiation, the highest cause of death for children in Florida.  Voices continues to operate in partnership with essential service providers during the pandemic to deliver and assemble safe beds in homes.  Beds are one of the most costly items Voices provides, and there has been a huge jump in demand during the pandemic as most other providers are unable to assist with this need and domestic violence cases rise as families are restricted to their homes.