Forever Family Lunchen

In celebration of 10 years focusing on children in the foster care system, NBC 6 Forever Family has teamed up with a host of experts to bring awareness to children's physical and emotional needs. The September 13th event is designed to educate the community and industry leaders about the needs of abused and neglected children. The luncheon, emceed by Forever Family Board Member and former NBC 6 anchor Tony Segreto, is being held at the Lauderdale Yacht Club from 10:30 am 2:00 pm. Individual tickets… Show more are $50 and sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds from this event will benefit Forever Family and Bella's Group, an outreach of Forever Family which dedicates support to grandparents and other relatives raising other family member's children, in what is known as kinship care.
Keeping Our Children Safe includes an array of speakers addressing specific child needs. Renowned Author and Criminal Investigator Joe Matthews will headline the event and discuss the progress which has been made in child safety throughout the years. Mr. Matthews served on the City of Miami Beach Police Department for 29 years investigating more than 1,000 death cases. He is most recognized for his efforts in solving the cold case of Adam Walsh 25 years after his disappearance and authoring "Bringing Adam Home". Additional program speakers include: Retired Judge John Frusciante, who will provide overall insight into judicial proceedings; Marsha Christi, CPIS Service Provider Specialist with BSO, discussing the procedures and investigation of cases; Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist Sheila Rapa, Psy.D. who provides child welfare services as Clinical Director for Chrysalis Health; Anne Alper, Esq. focusing on family law and children's rights; and Forensic Psychologist Amy Swan, Psy.D. who will discuss children's evaluations and the need for therapy.
This luncheon will also serve as the venue for the 2nd Annual Marsha and Alan Levy Champion of Child Abuse Prevention Award, being presented to the family of the late director the Broward County Sexual Assault Treatment Center, Nancy Cotterman. In collaboration with the County's Broward AWARE! Protecting Our Children efforts spearheaded by Andrew Leone, Community Partnership Specialist with the Children's Services Council of Broward, the award recognizes the work of outstanding individuals in Broward County dedicated to children. For the past several years, Broward AWARE has brought much needed attention to the prevention of abuse and neglect among our children. Joining the efforts to honor and remember Nancy Cotterman is Lauren Book, founder of Lauren's Kids and author of "It's OK to Tell," a book which relates her own personal story and her commitment today to put an end to sexual abuse.
Cindy Arenberg Seltzer, President/CEO of Children's Services Council of Broward County, a Forever Family funding partner, states, "I am happy to support this event and what it represents. Since its inception, Forever Family has partnered with the CSC and has helped fulfill the dreams and aspirations of countless children and youth. I couldn't be more proud of the fact that, as the CSC also recently celebrated its 10 years, we have supported Forever Family and hope to continue doing so for the next 10 years," she said.
Thanks to the support of the CSC and in partnership with ChildNet, Forever Family has become an integral part of assisting children who have been removed from their home. Forever Family gives children in foster care and those "aging-out" of foster care an opportunity to advocate for themselves by utilizing the power of media to raise awareness about their need for adoption. Forever Family is broadcast in South Florida by WTVJ-NBC6 and WPEC-CBS 12 in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. This program has resulted in thousands of recruitment calls and hundreds of new adoptions, foster parents and volunteers.
Keeping Our Children Safe A Team Approach is a kick-off for Forever Family's 10th year of service. Since 2002, the agency under the direction of Gia Tutalo-Mote, has found homes for more than 400 children living in foster care. On-air segments generate more than 1,200 calls and e-mails each year with inquires about adoption. The model program is being replicated throughout the country and has won such honors as the United States Department of Health \& Human Services' Adoption Excellence Award, the Congressional Angels in Adoption Award, Florida Department of Children and Families Advocate of the Year, and numerous other prestigious awards.
For further information or to support Forever Family's 10th Anniversary and the Keeping Our Children Safe A Team Approach event, please visit www.foreverfamily.org or call 1-888-365-FAMILY

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