Pasco Kids First

Child Advocacy and Protection

Pasco Kids First

Children's Advocacy Center

Keeping Kids Safe; Strengthening Families

Pasco Kids First: 30 Years of Keeping Kids Safe & Strengthening Families

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Pasco Kids First has been serving victims of child abuse and neglect and families since 1990. Thank you to the following Pasco Kids First 30th Anniversary Sponsors!

 

Champion Sponsor

 

Child Advocate Sponsor

 

Partner Sponsors

Morton Plant North Bay Hospital

Rotary Club of Trinity

 

Supporter Sponsor

AdventHealth North Pinellas

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel

Law Offices of Lucas & Magazine

 

Friend Sponsors

Bill and Patricia Ball

Honorable Declan Mansfield

Rao Musunuru, M.D.

The Pediatric Specialists Medical Group

Smiles by Graff Orthodontics

Sunrise Consulting Group

 

Some sponsorship levels have the opportunity to have their business logo or name filled with educational/promotional items on 1,000 resource bags. These bags will be distributed to families in our community with the help of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. Sponsors will also receive a discount on their 13th Annual Pasco Kids First Family Fun Day sponsorship on November 6, 2021.

Sponsorship Letter and levels by mail: 2020 FFD_30 Years Letter

For your convenience sponsorships and donations can be made online using the form below.

Oral Health Navigation Program – October Featured Program

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Pasco Kids First’s October featured #PKFMISSIONMOMENT Program is the Oral Health Navigation program.

Smile for life!  Can be as easy as 1, 2 & 3.  

  1. Floss 1 time a day.
  2. Brush 2 times a day to prevent cavities.
  3. Visit your dentist to prevent these 3 diseases; diabetes, health disease and oral cancer

 When families neglect dental care, they put themselves and others at-risk which results in dental related absences contributing to over 164 million hours of lost work each year.   The most common infectious disease in children is tooth decay.  The US Surgeon General report stated that over 51 million school hours are estimated to be missed by children each year due to dental pain.

 Our Oral Health Navigation Program funded through Florida Blue Foundation is essential.  Through our program 252 families have received an oral health education visit. They were provided dental resources and were linked to a dental provider. 193 family members completed an initial dental visit.   As a result, our Oral Health Program reached 969 family members through navigation of the dental system and addressing barriers to receiving treatment. This program is making a difference! 

 The Oral Health Navigation Program assists families with removing barriers, such as transportation and financial, and connects them with dental services.  Each family receives a dental kit so that each family member can have their own toothbrush and dental supplies.  The program teaches family members how-to-care for their teeth,  by establishing a routine.  We increase awareness to new parents, teaching how to care for their baby’s gums to prevent early cavities and by providing a wash cloth  and their first toothbrush to care for their baby’s gums and incoming teeth.

When you support of Pasco Kids First, you can make a difference in a child’s life who is facing difficult times and needs additional support with dental care.    

 Make a donation today so we can help a child tomorrow.   Help us make Pasco Kids First!

For more information about this program, contact Pasco Kids First Oral Health Navigator at wdelarosa@pascokidsfirst.org or 727-597-2508.

 

Pasco Kids First Welcomes New Board Members

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After becoming empty nesters Stephanie Howard and her husband, Clayton decided to leave Austin, Texas and relocated to Tampa Bay. Stephanie is an experienced and reliable and committed Realtor ®.
Stephanie is passionate about giving back to her community. She spent most of her time in Austin being involved with The Center for Child Protection. She joined Friends of Christopher Guild where she found her niche in Austin. She later served as Treasurer, Vice President and President. Stephanie has also been involved with Jr. League of Cleveland and Austin, Jack and Jill of America, The Links Incorporated, Women’s Shelters and Animal Shelters.
When not working or volunteering you can find Stephanie at the beach, boating, golfing, traveling or watching her favorite OHIO sports team. Yes, she is a die hard Cleveland Browns and The Ohio State University fan.
Rodrigo Torres, MD, MPH, MBA serves as the Chief Medical Officer for AdventHealth Zephyrhills and Dade City. He is responsible for leadership, direction and administration of the Medical Staff to ensure compliance with the hospital’s mission, strategic plan, and objectives to the realization of quality, cost-effective health care services for patients. He also manages the Quality and Patient Safety and the Risk Department.
Dr. Torres started his tenure of Chief Medical Officer in 2019 and prior to that, was the Lead Hospitalist at AdventHealth Tampa with Pioneer Medical Group. Dr. Torres also served as the Medical Director of AdventHealth Rehab North, from 2015 till 2018. He was announced Physician of the Year for AdventHealth Zephyrhills in 2016, then Physician of the year for Pioneer Medical Group in 2017 and continues to provide inpatient care as a Physician Hospitalist in AdventHealth Tampa.
Dr. Torres holds a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degree from Saint George’s University School of Medicine as well as a Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo University. Dr. Torres has completed several additional leadership training courses including AdventHealth’s Patient Safety Academy as well as AdventHealth’s Leadership Fellowship for Hospital Medicine.
Dr. Torres and his wife, Amy, and their three children, enjoy spending time together as a family. In his free time, Dr. Torres like to stay physically active, read medical and nutritional journals, and enjoys traveling.

Pasco Kids First Donors Make Back-to-School Easier

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Pasco Kids First serves more than 1,600 children each year through prevention, assessment and treatment services addressing child abuse and neglect.  Most of these children are school age and many do not have the resources to purchase the needed school supplies and clothes for the new year.  This year was even more difficult with most back-to-school events and school supply drives being canceled due to COVID.

Local businesses, individuals and groups reached out to help fill this need.  Some of these local philanthropists include:

  • Mike Peters Insurance Agency in New Port Richey donated to Pasco Kids First’s Children’s Advocacy Center. The State Farm Good Neigh Bear, Mr. Peters and his team visited the Center bringing boxes of school supplies, head phones, gift cards and more to help the kids get ready for the school year!

 

  • Dr. Bodanza with Champion Wellness Clinic and his Conforti Crossroads Chiropractic team in Trinity held their second annual event to collect backpacks and school supplies offering new and current patients free exams and adjustments for those who brought in a backpack with supplies.

 

  • Bonnie and Pat Martucci with the Gulf Side Corvette Club rallied their members and others to pitch in to purchase backpacks and supplies for kids in need. Bonnie and her granddaughter Kinsley delivered 38 backpacks filled with supplies to the Pasco Kids First Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Hudson Office.

 

  • For 21 years, the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at USF has been adopting kids in need for the school year served in East Pasco by the Healthy Families Program. The 2020 Coronavirus didn’t stop their generosity again this year. The CUTR team donated $825 in gift cards to allow our team and families to safely purchase the items most in need for the school year.

“Several families we serve at Pasco Kids First live paycheck to paycheck and had their hours cut back at work or lost their jobs completely due to the pandemic. They have to choose between paying bills, buying food and getting the kids ready for school”, stated Becky Bennett, Pasco Kids First Director of Development.  “We were fortunate to be able to assist many of these families thanks to the generosity of our community partners.”

Child Protection Team Medical Exams – September Program Spotlight

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The medical examination of children for suspected abuse and neglect is a key component of a Children’s Advocacy Center. This includes obtaining a medical history and conducting a physical examination to assess allegations of abuse or neglect. Photo documentation also occurs. The exam results in a written report provided to Child Protection and Law Enforcement professionals for use in the determination of child safety and criminal prosecution. On average, Pasco Kids First’s Child Protection Team provides 550 medical exams per year. Our nurses regularly take on nursing students as part of their clinical training. #PKFMissionMonday
Pictured: Pasco Kids First, Child Protection Team Nurse Practitioner Chris Pope and nursing student Shannon McClenathan from Chamberlain University Nursing.
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Healthy Families One-Step Eligibility Process

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Healthy Families Florida (HFF) moved to a “one-step” eligibility process for engaging and enrolling families in HFF services.

 What does “one-step” eligibility mean?

Beginning on July 1st, families referred to HFF by the following sources are eligible for services:

  • Families with a positive prenatal or infant risk screen, including those families referred through Connect (CI&R)
  • Families who are referred to HFF by a community partner or provider and who score positive on the HFF record referral screen
  • Families who are referred by a state agency or partner serving at-risk families, including DCF, DJJ, CBCs and local law enforcement CPIs (in counties where law enforcement officers conduct child protection investigations)

Are there still age limits and zip code restrictions?

Yes, HFF will still serve families who are pregnant or have an infant up to three-months old and who live in the neighborhoods or zip codes that the local HFF site serves.

What will happen when families are referred to HFF?

Local HFF sites who receive referrals will start by determining family eligibility for services. This will include reviewing the screen or referral for a positive score, reviewing the initial intake information shared through CI&R, and/or reviewing family information provided by a referring partner. It may also involve contacting the family for additional information.

Families who are determined eligible will be offered the opportunity to participate in HFF’s voluntary services. Our goal is to have the first home visit with a family as soon as possible after determining that they are eligible for the program.

What about the assessment process and the child protective services (CPS) check?

The Healthy Families Florida Assessment Tool (HFFAT) and CPS check will happen after a family enrolls in the program. The results of the HFFAT and the CPS check will be used to create an individualized service plan and determine the intensity of the program for each unique family.

Does this mean that HFF can now serve families who are receiving CPS services at eligibility?

Yes, families who have an open CPS case and are receiving case management services at the time of referral will be eligible to participate in the HFF program.

What does this mean for CI&R?

HFF will provide an updated description of the program for use by CI&R staff when offering home visiting program options to families. Local HFF sites will work with each Healthy Start Coalition to ensure that local decision trees are updated and that the CI&R team receives training and updates about this change. On a state level, the HFF central administration will work with the FAHSC team on changes needed to ensure that CI&R can effectively refer families to the program.

Pasco Kids First is the lead agency for the Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Program (HFPH).   Contact HFPH Program Manager Dana Selfridge at dselfridge@pascokidsfirst.org with any questions or concerns regarding this update.

Hope isn’t limited to school grounds

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Photo of Teresa HuizarWelcome to September. Like everything else in 2020, it’s not a normal September—it’s strangely quiet without the usual bustle and flow of school buses in the mornings and raucous dismissals in the afternoons. Nevertheless, children are back in school, in one form or another, and that gives us reason for hope.

When the pandemic shuttered our world back in March, we knew what it would mean for vulnerable children: Children out of school and isolated from caring adults is a perfect storm for abuse. We know that 78% of abuse happens at the hands of a parent, while another 10% of perpetrators are a relative or an unmarried partner of a parent. That is to say, nearly all abuse happens in the home. Meanwhile, our nation’s teachers, law enforcement, social services, medical, and mental health professionals collectively report more than two-thirds of the nation’s child abuse cases.

And during the shutdown, we were asked repeatedly about whether we’d see a spike in child abuse—I’m sure many of you fielded this question, as well. But that’s the wrong question. The real question we needed to ask was how many children were being abused with no trusted adult around to report it? Now, for the first time, we have an accurate picture of the answer. The nation’s 900 Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) have sent us their statistics for the first six months of 2020, and they’ve served 40,000 fewer kids this year than they did at the same point last year.

  • 40,000 children whose teachers were never able to ask what’s wrong after class.
  • 40,000 children whose coaches never had the chance to notice something’s off about their attitude.
  • 40,000 children whose doctors never had a chance to notice a strange bruise.
  • 40,000 children whose aunts and uncles and grandparents might not see them often enough to confirm a bad feeling.

It’s enough to make one despair. But CACs have never been about despair—to the contrary, we’ve always been about hope. And now, as schools begin to reopen and the opportunities for children to reach out to a safe adult resume, hope begins again. Hope isn’t limited to the school grounds, though. There are plenty of ways for each and every one of us to get involved and help. You could be a family member, a teacher who only knows a new student through a computer screen, a dental hygienist, or a delivery driver. Every moment you have with a child in your community is an opportunity to make a difference. Here’s what you can do:

  • Know the signs of abuse.
  • Learn your legal responsibilities in your state. In nearly every state, some jobs are mandated reporters of child abuse, and in 18 states and Puerto Rico, all adults are required to report suspected child abuse.
  • Say hello to children and parents in your community when you can. While not every child (or parent) is going to open up to you right away, if something is wrong, establishing rapport with the people who frequent your workplace or community hubs establishes you as a safe adult who might make the critical difference.
  • Contact your local CAC and talk through any concerns you have about a child in your life, or about making the report. They’re here to help.
  • If you suspect child abuse—yes, even suspect it—make the report.

Together, we can restore hope and help the children who need us most to heal, recover, and thrive.

Warmly,
Teresa Huizar

Teresa is the Executive Director of The National Children’s Alliance.  Pasco Kids First is one of 39 Children’s Advocacy Centers in the state of Florida that is fully accredited by the National Children’s Alliance meeting the highest standards of practice to serve kids.

For more information, visit www.nationalchildrensalliance.org.

Pasco Kids First Office Safety Precautions

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Pasco Kids First is taking the following precautions to protect our clients and staff and help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

  • Pasco Kids First team members will wear masks and you and your children must wear a face covering to comply with the Pasco County Executive Order. If you do not have a mask, Pasco Kids First team members will you provide with one upon your arrival.  Exceptions to the order include children under the age of two and anyone with an existing health condition that would be complicated by wearing a mask.
  • We ask all clients to wait in their cars or outside until retrieved by a Pasco Kids First team member.
  • Please call the office at 727-845-8080 or a cell phone number provided to you in order to alert your Pasco Kids First team member that you have arrived.
  • Office seating in the waiting room is discouraged but in the event you must be in the waiting room, please use appropriate physical distancing.
  • A Pasco Kids First team member will take your temperature upon arrival. If your temperature is 100 degrees or above, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment.
  • Pasco Kids First team members will maintain safe distancing.
  • Physical contact is not permitted. We ask that you talk to your child(ren) about physical contact.
  • As much as possible, Pasco Kids First team members will schedule appointments at specific intervals to minimize the number of people coming into the center at any one time.
  • Restroom soap dispensers are maintained, and everyone is required to wash their hands. After using the restroom, we ask that you use the disinfectant wipes provided to sanitize after your use.
  • Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is available in the lobby, therapy rooms and medical room as well as at the reception counter.
  • Commonly used items such as pens as well as areas that are commonly touched are thoroughly sanitized after each use.
  • Common areas are thoroughly disinfected at the end of each day.

Daughters of Penelope Baby Shower for PKF

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The Daughters of Penelope EROS Chapter 356 held a baby shower event at their monthly meeting at the AHEPA 489 Apartment House. There was no specific mommy to be or baby present but the group of caring and generous women each brought in baby items such as diapers, toys and some of the most darling outfits for baby boys and girls. The gifts were presented to Becky Bennett with Pasco Kids First for their Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando program, a positive-parenting home visiting program for expecting families or those with newborns. In addition, the ladies donated journals, toiletry items, undergarments and more for the kids served at the Pasco Kids First Children’s Advocacy Center. The donation was valued at more than $1,500. The Daughters of Penelope formed 39 years ago and support a variety of charities throughout the year.

Pasco Kids First Earns National Re-accreditation

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PASCO KIDS FIRST EARNS RE-ACCREDITATION FROM NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE

National Children’s Alliance recognizes Pasco Kids First for its ongoing delivery of high quality and effective services to child abuse victims through accreditation

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL (April 6, 2020) – Pasco Kids First has been awarded re-accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.

Accredited CACs must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied. With accreditation standards being updated in 2017, re-accreditation this year reflects Pasco Kids First’s commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.

Pasco Kids First was established in 1989 with the mission to assist in the protection of children from the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect providing services for 30 years to children and families. In 2019, Pasco County had more than 7,500 child abuse reports and Pasco Kids First’s Children’s Advocacy Center served 1,264 children with 593 medical exams, 3,425 therapy sessions, 723 forensic/specialized interviews and 6,529 case management hours. As an Accredited Member of National Children’s Alliance, Pasco Kids First is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.

National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. Accredited Members must utilize a functioning and effective Multidisciplinary Team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and child focused setting.

“As an organization/team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining our accreditation status from the National Children’s Alliance. Re-accreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention, but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Rob Wolf, President & CEO of Pasco Kids First.

“Pasco Kids First is to be commended for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration. By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo re-Accreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of service is being provided,” remarked Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.

For more information about Pasco Kids First, visit www.pascokidsfirst.org.

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