Forever Family in St. Lucie County to Highlight Christmas Project, Other Caregiver Resources

November 18, 2021

Treasure Coast –

Longtime media partners Forever Family and News Channel 12 will turn their attention to two new Treasure Coast projects in the coming weeks.

Those projects include the under-construction Children's Advocacy Center and next month's Christmas Gift Drive - both projects that will bring additional resources to children and families served by Communities Connected for Kids' community of care.

Additionally, the program will feature a special update on local adoptions.

Forever Family is a program that leverages the power of local media partners - in this case, News Channel 12 - to highlight children in need of adoptive families. Two adoptions finalized this month were a direct result of the project's reach.

A production team was out earlier this week to film the stories at CCKids offices and on-location at the advocacy center, which will provide a one-stop location for children removed from home.

"In the past, children went from location to location having to be interviewed by law enforcement, child protective services and to also receive much needed medical and mental health services, said CAC Director Caroline Vinyard. "Each time a child is required to repeat the recitation of the abuse they suffered, the child is retraumatized, which is what happens when providers are not co-located and are not able to share real-time information."

This center will turn that around and bring everyone to the child, Vinyard said. A dedicated CAC provides a safe, child friendly environment where the child only shares their story one time.

Forever Family also shot video to promote the upcoming Christmas toy drive, a partnership between CCKids and the Guardians for New Futures. The drive provides toys to children in the local dependency system as well as families in need throughout Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast.

For information on how to participate, email CCKids Community Relations Director Christina Kaiser.

Both the toy drive and the advocacy center are examples of services available to local families involved in foster care and adoptions, Kaiser said.

"We take caregiver support and retention very seriously," she said. "When a family comes together because of foster care of adoption, we try very hard to make sure they feel like they have a team of people behind them."

Forever Family features run during the 5 p.m. News Channel 12 newscast every Tuesday. Dates for segments under production, like those reported above, have not yet been scheduled.

Pictured top left are CAC Executive Director Caroline Vinyard, Forever Family CEO Gia Tutalo-Mote, and Debbie Butler, President of the Guardians for New Futures. Also pictured is the Forever Family crew getting video of CCKids' offices for an upcoming feature.