Local Couple Named Foster Parents of the Year

Release date: 11/3/2010

Joe and Linda Acker, specialized therapeutic foster parents with Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Buckner Division, have been named Foster Parents of the Year by the Florida Coalition for Children, honoring the Ackers’ commitment to provide “more than just a healthy and safe place to live but also a friend and advocate to children in need.”

Offering stability and safety in a loving home, the Ackers, who’ve been foster parents for nine years, foster boys who’ve endured challenging pasts and outwardly express their anger in destructive manners. Working closely with caseworkers and therapists, the Ackers provide guidance, encouragement and structure necessary to help children work through their traumatic pasts and develop into responsible, well-mannered youth.

“Mr. and Mrs. Acker treat every child in their home as an important member of the family, and they make sure each one knows how special he is,” says Kymberly Cook, Executive Director of Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Buckner Division. “Whether they’re enjoying a meal together or cheering on one of the boys at a football game, the Ackers provide the family love many of these children have never before experienced.”

Along with modeling and encouraging respect and appropriate behaviors, the Ackers encourage children in their home to strengthen their relationships with siblings and to become involved in extracurricular activities, striving to bring a sense of normalcy to the boys’ lives.

In addition to the Ackers’ award, Florida Coalition for Children honored Children’s Home Society of Florida President and CEO David A. Bundy with the Lifetime Achievement Award and named Children’s Home Society of Florida Dependency Case Manager Lisa Coleman Dependency Case Manager of the Year.

Created in 1902, Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS) is the largest and most respected statewide private not-for-profit provider of services to children and families in Florida. The Buckner Division serves 2,000 children and families in the First Coast area daily through a full spectrum of prevention and intervention programs. Services include foster care, adoption, child development, residential group homes, independent and transitional living for teens, parent education, counseling, mentoring and more. CHS, which served more than 126,000 children and family members throughout the state in 2009-2010, is headquartered in Winter Park, and offers services in more than 100 locations by more than 1,500 staff members dedicated to providing child-focused, family-centered care.

No clients shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Clients needing accommodations for a disability and/or clients with special communications needs should contact their Children’s Home Society of Florida worker or make their request for accommodation at the time of admission into a Children’s Home Society of Florida program.

CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA, REGISTRATION #CH180, IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE UNDER THE SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.