Services Offered
Adoption and Pregnancy Counseling
Helps adoptive and birth parents make the best possible plans for children. CHS provides a full range of adoption services. In over 40 years of dedicated service to families in the Big Bend, Helen Ervin has placed more than 450 children with their forever families.
Contact: Helen Ervin, MSW and Program Supervisor
Helen.Ervin@chsfl.org or (850)921-0772
Public (Foster Care) Adoption
Finds loving forever families for children who cannot ever safely return to live with their birth families.
Contact: (850) 488-0506
Sandra.Duhart@chsfl.org, Program Supervisor
Child Protection Team
Our Child Protection Team cares for child victims of abuse and/or neglect by providing comprehensive medical examinations, psychological and psychosocial evaluations, forensic interviews, expert court testimony, and support and resources for proper treatment.
Contact: (850) 487-2838
Karen Lockard, Child Protection Team Program Director
Karen.Lockard@chsfl.org
Community Based Foster Care
Provides case management and support services for children who have been abused or neglected and have been placed into community based foster care.
Contact:
Sandra Duhart, Dependency Case Management Supervisor
sandra.duhart@chsfl.org or (850 )488-0506
Early Steps
Family Connections
Services Include:
- Behavioral Counseling
- Sexual Abuse Treatment
- Mental Health Counseling
- Infant Mental Health Counseling
- Family Counseling
- Counseling for Trauma-Related Issues
- Consultation for Other Parental Concerns
Contact: (850) 921-8989
Jennifer.Evans@chsfl.org, Program Supervisor
Foster Home Management
Local Homes for Local Kids
Do you want to change the life of a child by opening your home as a licensed foster home? Do you have questions about re-licensing requirements for foster homes?
For these and all other questions about foster home management, contact Jonathan Hasel, Foster Home Management Program Manager at (850)921-0772 or jonathan.hasel@chsfl.org.
The Preschool at Evening Rose
Serves children ages 12 months to 5 years and also offers Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK). We've implemented the Beyond Centers and Circle Time Curriculum©, written by Dr. Pam Phelps, owner of The Creative Pre-school, designed to provide creative, playful and stimulating experiences for young children. The curriculum focuses on well-planned, organized and scaffolded play experiences that help children to develop physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. Our service ratios align with the strict requirements of our national accrediting agency, the Council on Accreditation.
More information is available online at www.CHSPreschool.org.
Contact: 850-921-KIDS (5437)
Kathryn.Schmidt@chsfl.org, Director
Tree House
A temporary emergency shelter open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for children ages 2-11 years who cannot stay safely in their own homes due to the possiblity of being abused or neglected.
Contact: (850) 921-0772
Richard.Ivison@chsfl.org, Program Supervisor
Wendy's Wonderful Kids
A program of the Dave Thomas Foundation, Wendy's Wonderful Kids works with experienced adoption counselors to help children from foster care find permanent, loving adoptive homes.
Contact: (850) 488-0506
Sandra.Duhart@chsfl.org, Program Supervisor
Michelle.Morris@chsfl.org, Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter