CCKids Adds Two More GEMS to It's Caregiver Crown

August 23, 2023

Port St. Lucie – When other doors close, Rebecca Lurie's opens.

Lurie, a CCKids foster parent, reliably takes in children who have been declined by other providers or who may have been without a placement.

For that reason, she was one of two local caregivers recently honored with CCKids' Going the Extra Mile - or GEM - Award.

"I will say that it definitely takes a village, and I am just one of the many people in that village," said Lurie, who has been a foster parent in Fort Pierce for 12 years.

Jocelyne Fimiano, of Port St. Lucie, also received the award; she was recognized for her dedicated work with the families of children who come into her care.

The award is one of a series of accolades honoring various members of the local child-welfare community. Fimiano and Lurie were recognized in the Topaz category, which honors foster parents in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.

"Rebecca Lurie opens her home to youth who come with severe trauma and needs," CCKids' placement team wrote of the caregiver. "When children leave her home, they voice feeling welcomed and cared for."

And Fimiano is an example of partnership parenting, said Kristine Maldonado, who nominated the Port St. Lucie foster parent from Camelot Community Care, one of CCKids' partner agencies.

"Jocelyne is an incredible foster parent with a huge heart," Maldonado said. "She and another foster parent recently helped a biological mom get furniture to furnish her home so she could reunify with her children."

She steps up to take a placements in the middle of the night, engages her fellow foster parents in community activities and tries to build a
supporting environment.

She is everything and more we could ask for in a foster parent, Maldonado said.

"There are so many deserving foster moms," Fimiano said. "My husband and kids are the reasons I am able to give so much - they pitch in and love on every kid that walks through the door."

Do you know a local caregiver who goes above and beyond and should be recognized? Let us know by submitting a nomination here.

Interested in becoming a licensed foster parent? Call (772) 873-7800 and ask for Jerra to get started. You can also find more information about CCKids here.