Foster kids sleep easier with new bedroom sets




Sgt. Jamie Najar shares the excitement with the children as they select their bedroom sets at Rooms to Go.

Sgt. Jamie Najar shares the excitement with the children as they select their bedroom sets at Rooms to Go.

Seven Southwest Florida children now have their own new bedroom sets, thanks to a partnership between Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit.

On September 16 the kids went on a shopping spree with their caregivers and a few law enforcement officers. They enjoyed cupcakes that morning before browsing the showroom at Rooms to Go Kids in Fort Myers, where each child selected a new bed frame, mattress, dresser, and nightstand. The next stop was Walmart, for a pillow, kid-friendly blanket, sheets, and stuffed animals. Their final stop was at McDonald’s for lunch and apple pies.

The special event was part of the foundation’s Beds for Kids program, which for the past 20 years has provided new beds for children in the foster care system.

“You could see their excitement when they first arrived at the store and peered through the windows at all the items they could choose from. Their smiles were infectious,” said the foundation’s executive director, Jessica Stanfield.

Beth Schell (left) and Lt. Alan Canfield (right) join the kids as they choose their favorite bedroom sets.

Beth Schell (left) and Lt. Alan Canfield (right) join the kids as they choose their favorite bedroom sets.

“Thanks to support from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno, these children can now sleep comfortably, with furniture and décor that they picked out themselves,” Stanfield said.

Lee County Sheriff’s Community Response Unit works to address issues such as quality of life for county residents. “When we learned about the Beds for Kids program and its impact on youth in foster care, we were eager to get involved,” Sheriff Marceno said. “This gives the children a sense of belonging, and something they can call their own.

“No matter where they are placed in the future, this bedroom furniture will go with them as they gain permanent placement or return to their families,” Marceno said.

Caregiver Allison Holbrook said the Beds for Kids program has been a blessing for her family and the two little girls they are adopting. “We wanted to personalize their room and make it more functional, so we chose a set of bunk beds and other items the girls really like,” Holbrook said. “It’s so essential that kids feel important and loved.”

Sgt. Michael Truscott and Jessica Stanfield load the car at Walmart with pillows, blankets, sheets and stuffed animals for the Guardian ad Litem kids.

Sgt. Michael Truscott and Jessica Stanfield load the car at Walmart with pillows, blankets, sheets and stuffed animals for the Guardian ad Litem kids.

Beds for Kids was founded in 2001 by Cynthia Shafer to help people willing to open their hearts and homes to youth in the child welfare system. The Florida Department of Children & Families requires that children have their own beds before the court will grant temporary custody to a caregiver, family member or foster parent

Since the program began, generous donors have helped provide nearly 3,000 beds to children across Southwest Florida based on recommendations from their court-appointed Guardian ad Litem advocates.

“We are thankful to the various charities, individual donors and businesses that fund this program,” Stanfield said.

Sergeant Michael Truscott attended and helped coordinate the September 16 shopping trip. “Our Community Response Unit uses funds raised by local residential communities, charitable and civic groups to distribute items to residents and nonprofits in need,” he said. “We often purchase children’s holiday gifts but wanted to do something outside the box this year. We decided to hold this event as a way to give back to the community.”

“Special events like this shopping trip are the jewels in the crown of our partnership with Lee County Sheriffs,” Stanfield said. “We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future.

“Each year we also hold Back to School with the Blue,” Stanfield said. “We collaborate with the Sheriff’s Office to provide school supplies and Old Navy gift cards to the foster children we represent.”

The Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit supports abused, neglected or abandoned youth in Southwest Florida as they navigate the judicial, educational and child welfare systems. As a nonprofit United Way Partner Agency, the foundation raises funds to help meet children’s health, educational and social needs and provide highly trained volunteer advocates who represent their best interests until safe, permanent placement is established. For more information, visit VoicesForKids.org or call 239-533-1435.

To learn more about the Beds for Kids Program, contact Jessica Stanfield at 239-533-1435 or JStanfield@GALFoundation20.org.