Manatee Community Foundation and Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation Partner to Plan Philanthropic Response to Foster Care Needs

With the heroin and opioid epidemic impacting many aspects of a healthy community, the number of addicted parents and guardians in Manatee County has skyrocketed, causing dramatic increases in the number of children requiring foster care.

In response, the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation has awarded a grant to Manatee Community Foundation to convene stakeholders around the issue. The result will be an action plan providing solutions that private and foundation philanthropy can help address.

Staff and volunteers from charitable organizations and local governments will meet at Manatee Community Foundation in a series of six discussions over the next two months.

“We heard about the foster care situation in Manatee County and called Manatee Community Foundation to ask how we could partner to lend support,” said Teri A Hansen, Barancik Foundation President and CEO. “Developing an action plan informed by the nonprofits that work tirelessly to serve children in foster care was the logical first step toward tackling this complex issue.”

The planning process will identify gaps, potential intersections in services, and opportunities to leverage resources. Bill Little, project consultant, will facilitate the process which includes aligning community and organizational expectations to ensure success.

“Many people and organizations have been working in this space for years, and they want the same outcome—the best way to support vulnerable children in a frightening situation,” said Susie Bowie, Manatee Community Foundation Executive Director.

“This planning process has been designed to be inclusive and to build engagement of various partners who will co-create an action plan together. Then we will need our community to come forward and support it with dollars and action.”

According to the Florida Dept. of Children & Families, 439 children in Manatee County were removed from their homes from January 1 through October 31, 2016. Not all removals were connected to drug addiction.

For more information, contact Susie Bowie, Manatee Community Foundation executive director, at (941) 556-5444.

About Manatee Community Foundation
Manatee Community Foundation works together with philanthropic individuals and businesses to achieve lasting good in Manatee County. Now with $36 million in assets, the Foundation is home to more than 200 impactful funds that address opportunities in our community in the areas of human services, health, animal welfare, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement. Since its founding in 1998, Manatee Community Foundation has awarded $18 million in grants and scholarships. For more information about the Manatee Community Foundation, visit www.manateecf.org or contact Susie Bowie, Executive Director, at (941) 556-5444.

About Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

The Charles and Margery Barancik family has long believed in the power of philanthropy to shape our world and enrich the lives of all people. It was the expression of this belief that led them in 2014 to establish the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation—a private, family foundation located in Sarasota, Florida. The Barancik Foundation creates initiatives and awards grants in Sarasota and beyond in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment, and medical (research/resources). For further information, please contact Kelly Romanoff at KRomanoff@BarancikFoundation.org.