Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives. Advocating Change.

The Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHSFL) was founded in Jacksonville in 1902 with two staff members and a budget of $400. Since then, the Children’s Home Society of Florida, now headquartered in Winter Park, has expanded its reach to 15 divisions throughout the state with over 1,800 employees. CHSFL’s mission is to rescue and embrace children who are struggling to survive on their own. This includes a focus on breaking the generational cycle of child abuse in families, generating protection and healing, and the creation of stronger, stable families (which may include adoption or fostering).

Among many impactful initiatives, CHSFL is helping and empowering children and families through legislative endeavors. “Our programs start from early steps, serving kids and families at the developmental age of newborn to three years old. We offer preventative resources and aid new moms. Other efforts extend all the way up to independent living. Each unique program has its own pot of money stimulating the legislature,” shares Summer Pfeiffer, CHSFL Vice President of Government Relations.

Summer views her top priority as maintaining continual funding for all CHSFL efforts, including legislative involvement. “If we don’t have the funds for legislative sessions, we can’t keep doing our important work of hope and healing. For the most part, the legislature, even in tough times, has been very gracious to keep financing our programs,” says Summer. The initiative that Summer is most proud of is called The Children’s Home Society Youth Advocacy Grant, which offers high school students the opportunity of a lifetime to serve in the Florida Senate as either a House Page and Messenger or Senate Page. The Youth Advocacy Grant began in 2009 and, thus far, has provided 34 foster children with a participation scholarship.

The concept of engaging youth in this capacity stemmed from Summer’s personal experience. She moved to Tallahassee when she was 16 years old and recalls the day when her mother said, “You’re going to take a week off from school and be a House Messenger.” While serving in the Florida Senate, Summer fell in love with government relations. “It changed my life. I remained in our capital to attend Florida State University and the rest is history. I recognized the impact that the Messenger service had on my life and the doors that it opened,” she said. “At Children’s Home Society, we needed to figure out a way that our divisions could identity youth that would benefit from a similar advocacy-driven opportunity.”

To become a House Page and Messenger or Senate Page with CHSFL, a youth candidate must be a good student with excellent grades and gain allowance from his/her high school principal to take a week off from classes during the legislative session. Summer says, “We want to ensure that students are doing well in school and are interested in this experience. They need to demonstrate some independence and not have behavioral issues.” Youth that meet the qualifications are awarded a $1,000 scholarship to cover transportation, food, clothing, and miscellaneous necessities. “These funds help participants follow our unified dress code ─ a blue blazer,” says Summer. “The program also involves host families ─ typically board members from the Children’s Home Society division in Tallahassee ─ to supply youth with lodging and meals during their weeklong visit. With each new Florida Senate President, CHSFL is not guaranteed slots for the House Page and Messenger and Senate Page program and, therefore, annually submits a formal request letter seeking renewal of the program. “For this year, we contacted Senate President Don Gaetz, drafted our appeal, and thankfully were granted another eight slots, including four youth participants,” Summer explains.

Jazmyne, an 18-year-old high school senior enrolled in the GED program at Daytona State College, was selected as one of the foster youth to serve as a Senate Page during the March 4-8, 2013 Florida session. She shared, “I was really impressed that the Senators were so laid back. I didn’t except that at all; I expected them to be uptight the whole time.” Jazmyne’s main responsibility included delivering key CHSFL messages. She also networked with other high school students and Senate staff members. “The most exciting thing I saw on the Senate Floor was watching all of the Senators do the, ‘Harlem Shake!’ And I enjoyed meeting Florida Senate’s Chief Financial Officer,” says Jazmyne. “My favorite part of the trip, other than serving in the Senate, was spending time with my host family. They were really nice.”

Serving as a Senate Page transformed Jazmyne’s view of the government and gave her incentive to pursue a career in the Florida Senate. “I never really thought of working anywhere, especially inside the Capitol or for the government but, after serving, I am thinking about becoming a House Representative, involved with the Senate, or a CFO because I’m really good with math. I never thought about it until after meeting Florida Senate’s CFO and House Representatives,” says Jazmyne. The Children’s Home Society of Florida is helping over 200,000 kids and family members throughout the state of Florida. For more information on the Children’s Home Society, please visit CHSFL.org.