Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Children’s Home Society of Florida’s David Bundy
Release date: 10/28/2010
WINTER PARK, Fla. (Oct. 28, 2010)—Children’s Home Society of Florida President and CEO David A. Bundy was honored with Florida Coalition for Children’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his “career filled with a lifetime of service and accomplishments that have made a difference in the lives of Florida’s neediest children and their families.”
With more than three decades of service to children and families, Bundy has become a valued resource on state and national levels, aiding child welfare professionals, advocates and foster care alumni to improve care, outcomes and futures of children who enter foster care through no fault of their own.
“Early in his career, Dave made a difference one life at a time, first as an elementary school guidance counselor and later as a counselor to troubled teens,” says Mike Cusick, President and CEO of Florida Coalition for Children. “Now, as the CEO of Children’s Home Society of Florida and respected leader in the field, he makes a tangible difference by advocating for and influencing fundamental reform in child welfare. He has devoted his life to creating brighter futures for children, and I cannot think of a more deserving recipient.”
Since joining Children’s Home Society of Florida in 1988, Bundy has relentlessly pursued opportunities to change the lives of large numbers of vulnerable children. Under his direction, Children’s Home Society of Florida supported the development of Florida’s Community Based Care system with financial and leadership commitments. Bundy has since turned Children’s Home Society of Florida’s focus toward identifying and implementing best practices proven to break the generational cycle of abuse for increasing numbers of children; the organization serves nearly 100,000 children and their family members each year.
Additionally, Bundy has been tapped for several state and national leadership roles, public forums and strategy sessions; most recently, he participated in a work session in Washington, D.C., for the United States bi-partisan Senate Caucus on Foster Care. Bundy is a vocal advocate for extending and expanding Florida’s critical Title IV-E Waiver and for the fundamental reform of the financing of child welfare to more swiftly and effectively address the multiple needs of struggling families.
In addition to Bundy’s recognition, the Florida Coalition for Children honored Children’s Home Society of Florida Dependency Case Manger Lisa Coleman with Dependency Case Manager of the Year, recognizing her “determination, special talents and patience needed daily to bring focus and the goal of permanency to each child served.”
Children’s Home Society of Florida foster parents Linda and Joseph Acker were named Florida Coalition for Children’s Foster Parents of the Year, honoring their commitment to provide “more than just a healthy and safe place to live but also a friend and advocate to children in need.”
About Children’s Home Society of Florida
Created in 1902, Children’s Home Society of Florida is the oldest and largest statewide private not-for-profit provider of services to children and families in Florida. The organization provides a full spectrum of prevention and intervention programs, including foster care, adoption, child development, emergency shelters, residential group homes, independent and transitional living for teens, parent education, counseling, mentoring, treatment for developmentally disabled children, and more. CHS, which served more than 97,000 children and families throughout the state in 2008-2009, is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla., and offers services in more than 100 locations by more than 1,500 staff members dedicated to providing child-focused, family-centered care.
#CHS#