As National Mentoring Month comes to an end, I ask if we could have done more. With mentoring, everyone is a resource for building a better future for a child. Spending just one hour a week with a mentee is a small investment that yields amazing results. I can think of hundreds of stories from life and literature that involve a child who has reached his or her maximum potential because of a mentor. I’ve seen first hand the impact it has on someone’s life. National Mentoring Month is an excellent way to kick off the New Year, but I hope that mentors are celebrated all year long.

 Every 10 years, Americans have a great opportunity to sculpt their communities and improve their quality of life. The 2010 Census will take on the daunting task of counting every individual residing in the United States.  This year, there is an increased emphasis on obtaining an accurate count. Tough economic times have limited federal spending in social services and raise the importance of targeting needy communities through information found in the census.

The New Year is traditionally an opportunity for everyone to contemplate what the future may hold and how we can help sculpt it. The future will still be bright as we begin to see the returns of our continued investment in children. So as the last moments of 2009 tick away, I hope you will show your support and help us fulfill these resolutions.

The capacity to give is in all of us, and it can be displayed in a number of ways.  Two weeks ago, we hosted our Holiday Bash for more than 150 foster teens through the sponsorship of CNL Bank and Sam’s Club. There were also 32 volunteers from CNL Bank, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, and other partners on hand that night to handle the party from beginning to end.  And the teens were able to dance, play and eat pizza thanks to many more local sponsors.

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Last week, the Miami Herald reported that there will be a federal investigation for a Florida psychiatrist who has written more than 97,000 psychotropic prescriptions to Medicaid recipients over the past 18 months. The investigation also includes the psychiatrist who was responsible for Gabriel Myers’ medications. This nationwide crackdown on Medicaid abuse also serves as a major step toward safeguarding Florida’s foster children.

In 2010, more than 80 central Florida youth will exit foster care with no families to support them. This means that 80 central Florida youth will be 25% more likely to be homeless, 43% more likely to have a child before age 20 and 80% more likely to go to jail.

Statistics suggest that 65 of these youth will want to earn a college degree.  Only two will earn that degree.  More than 50 of them will not pursue any post-secondary education at all.  Some of those will never complete high school or a GED.  Forty will be unemployed. All will live in poverty, and more than 30 will cost rather than contribute to our society.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we at Family Services of Metro Orlando reflect on the opportunities created for children. We are thankful for the spirit of partnership from all sectors of our community to create those possibilities. We join our community in acknowledging the successes we have shared and those who have helped us achieve them.

More than 40 of central Florida's foster youth are developmentally disabled, and Family Services of Metro Orlando spends more than $8 million over five years for their care.  Fifteen of these children are featured in our Heart Gallery because they are awaiting adoptive homes.  They have no family to speak for them and are not likely to speak for themselves.

Family Services of Metro Orlando just entered in America's Giving Challenge via Facebook Causes, which gives us a chance to win $50,000! 

Please donate today: http://www.causes.com/fsmetroorlando

Family Services of Metro Orlando was founded in 2003 through a statewide competitive process under an initiative of then-Governor Jeb Bush. This initiative – called Community-Based Care – to provide leadership in creating a network of community-based supports for children and families was a legislative mandate to engage and empower individuals to support their children and families at the community level.