Point of View

In a recent letter to the editor of the Bradenton Herald, Children’s Home Society President, Dave A. Bundy gave the following media reports from around our state:

In Brevard County, 3- and 7-year-old children suffered severe ongoing beatings with a belt. In Hillsborough County, a two-year-old boy was beaten with a T-ball bat. In Pinellas County, an 8-year-old boy was tied to a coffee table and beaten for three hours by a relative who was baby-sitting him. In Manatee County, a 13-year-old girl nearly stopped breathing when her stepfather grabbed her by the neck and threw her against the wall during an argument over dirty dishes. In Sarasota County, an infant was suffocated after being left face down in her bassinet overnight. And in Seminole County, a 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy endured horrible physical and sexual abuse for more than six years. All of this was reported just within the last few months.

Similar stories could be found throughout the state.

I know that you join me in my feelings of shock and sadness to read such horrific accounts of child abuse. It breaks my heart to see children treated the way no child should ever be treated. With economic stressors escalating, research shows that Florida will experience an increase in calls to the Abuse Hotline. The effect will be an even higher need of services to children. Since 1993, Florida has had a substantially higher rate of child victims than any comparable state. In a word, we lead the nation in child abuse.

As a child care agency, it can be overwhelming to think about how to address this situation. How can we make an impact? Our child care workers, social workers, foster parents, and adoptive families have made a tremendous impact on the lives of children who have come in and out of our doors through the years. You play an important part! We cannot continue this incredible task without your support. Because of you, we are able to share reports from former residents like the following:

In Brandon, Jimmy says: “I remember a feeling of security there (Lakeland Campus). I learned to ride a bike, to swim, to pray, and love. Most importantly I think that the Children’s Home was the beginning of a relationship with God that is still present in my life today. The weekly chapel services, the schooling, the family visitations [and] I could go on. All were influential in my youth and calming an otherwise raging storm, making me feel wanted and normal. These lessons stayed with me through the coming years…. I am thankful that if my parents had to give me away, they gave me to Florida Baptist Children’s Homes.”

In Michigan, Kevin says: “My brother and I are very thankful for how the (Florida Baptist Children’s Homes) has impacted our lives. My father Keith McElroy is very thankful as well. There is not a day that goes by my father tells me how this place saved our family. A simple thank you is not enough for the McElroy family. My brother is now a successful family medicine doctor and I am a radio frequency engineer. God has blessed us in many ways. My father is my role model, but this place was our savior along with the Lord.”

In Tallahassee, Betsy says: “It’s hard to describe being a little kid and nobody telling you anything, especially your family and not being scared, lonely and isolated. We didn’t have a clue who to trust and who to talk to. It’s a natural state for children to resort to defensive behavior and survival techniques. This is what the Children’s Home deals with every day with every child, and thank God they don’t give up…. They held on tight and guided me through the darkest years of my life.”

The impact on Betsy is now benefiting her children and even a newborn grandchild! We all must step up to do what is right and best for the “least of these.” It is not an opportunity or a choice; it is our God-given mandate to help these precious children. Christ makes the difference; together we can make an IMPACT. Give generously to the Mother’s Day Offering and change the lives and eternities of the children in our state.

Jerry Haag is president of Florida Baptist Children’s Homes.