A.N.A.’s Friends launched a new initiative, Among Friends, to raise awareness and spark dialogue about children and teens in Florida’s foster care system.
Held April 10 at Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers, “Among Friends: A Conversation about Healing, Belonging and the Power of Connection” was a gathering of 212 guests for solutions to instability of foster care placements, shortages of foster parents, burnout among social workers and an overloaded child welfare system.
“The ‘A.N.A.’ in A.N.A.’s Friends represents children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned, and their ‘friends’ include those with compassion, understanding and a willingness to advocate for children who often lack a voice in the dependency court system,” said Jessica Stanfield, CEO of the Southwest Florida-based nonprofit.
Author and child welfare advocate Ashley Rhodes-Courter headlined Among Friends. Born to a single teen mother and shuffled between 14 foster homes and institutions before being adopted at age 12, Rhodes-Courter is the author of New York Times bestselling memoirs “Three Little Words” and “Three More Words,” which follow her personal journey through Florida’s foster care system…