SARASOTA, Fla. — “Our very first case that we worked with the Safe Children coalition ended up being a permanent placement and a permanent lever,” Brian Leaver said.
That was the first child that Leaver and his wife fostered. She was only six months old when she came to live with them in October 2009.
The couple have fostered about 60 kids over the years … most of which were infants or toddlers
“There'd be oftentimes where my wife would pick up a child from the hospital directly,” Brian Leaver said.
That’s how their youngest adoptive daughter – now eight years old – came to live with them in 2015.
“It's something that we have the opportunity to take care of their needs, and their needs are not great. There are needs are simple and that we can provide them,” Leaver said.
The couple have two biological children – a 21-year-old son and a 23-year-old daughter.
“He's a huge advocate for children, not only in his speech but in the actions that he and his family have taken,” Jacqueline House said.
The couple’s days of fostering are over, but that hasn’t stopped them from finding ways to help.
“Now full circle, Brian and his construction company are working on our new use shelter, so we're really excited about the connection,” House said.
The new youth shelter will be able to house 20 teens. Groundbreaking is planned for next year. Meanwhile, there’s a waiting list for their current shelter, which, over three decades, has helped more than six thousand teens in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties.
The shelter is one of the Safe Children’s Coalition’s preventative programs helping runaways and teens who are truant, suffering mental health issues, or having severe family conflicts.
“I think that that's something special that we get to continue to be a part of it,” Leaver said.
The purpose of the youth shelter is to keep out of foster care.
But there is a need for at least 50 more foster homes, according to the Safe Children Coalition.
“Getting the opportunity to hold a baby in your arms and know that you're giving them what they need is amazing,” Leaver said.
