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Teaching Family Model Continues To Produce Success Stories

Posted on December 20, 2023

The Children’s Home has been committed to the application of the Teaching Family Model. Our Residential Care Team identified it as the best model of care to provide our children and youth with the needed tools and support to overcome their individual traumas in order to be successful. In less than three years after initially

A Rich History of Serving Children

Posted on September 29, 2023

The Children’s Home has been serving children for 115 years and has expanded far beyond the original location in Enterprise. It began in 1908 as the Florida Methodist Orphanage with the purchase of one building, eight town lots, and a forty acre tract on beautiful Lake Monroe. The need at the time was for a

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy at the Children’s Home

Posted on December 11, 2023

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a specialized type of therapy for our youth that is offered at both the Enterprise campus and the Madison Youth Ranch. EAP sessions for our Enterprise campus involve taking the children to a nearby location where they can work with the horses. In the case of the Madison Youth Ranch,

An Alumni Remembers How The Children’s Home Helped Her

Posted on August 22, 2023

In 1964, Lyndon Johnson was president and it would be the following year before the first U.S. combat troops would enter Vietnam. Bread was .22 a loaf and gasoline was .30 a gallon. Major happenings in 1964 included: The Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan, their first live television performance in the U.S. Muhammad Ali beat

Finding Their Inner Courage

Posted on July 21, 2023

One of the more popular activities on Enterprise campus of the Children’s Home is the high ropes course, complete with zip line. The youth participate in the high ropes course under the supervision of our trained and certified staff, and all the necessary precautions are taken to ensure a safe experience. But that doesn’t stop

Cycling For The Children

Posted on June 13, 2023

This article was written by Wendy Wright, a congregant of Lake Deaton United Methodist Church in Wildwood, FL. She wrote this after speaking with guests at our Day On Campus event, and to explain her motivation to complete her Bike Across Kansas cycling trip to raise money in support of the children.   “Give me

Putting Others First

Posted on November 01, 2022

Most youth look forward to a teacher workday as a day off from school and a time when they can play video games or sleep late. The youth at the Children’s Home have a different idea for how to spend these free days. They see it as an opportunity to serve others and give back

More Than A Children’s Home

Posted on September 20, 2022

Through the leadership of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home was founded in 1908 as the Florida Methodist Orphanage. From those humble beginnings with just two orphaned children, the Children’s Home quickly grew. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the Children’s Home grew much of its own food, tended dairy

Mental Health Awareness Month and Trauma Informed Care

Posted on May 23, 2022

Since it was first recognized in 1949, May has been Mental Health Awareness Month. The stigma around mental health still remains, although it is improving as people gain a better understanding of the causes and treatments for mental health. At the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, many of our youth deal with these issues as

Trauma-Informed Care

Posted on March 30, 2022

At the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, we have been following a trauma-informed approach to the care of our youth for years. Though this sounds really good, many might ask, “Exactly what does that mean?” Simply put, trauma-informed care shifts the focus of the care from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”

How the Opioid Epidemic Impacts Child Welfare

Posted on August 05, 2021

Everyone agrees that there is a major problem with the levels of opioid addiction in this country. Many people know someone who is dealing with an addiction. Many more know someone who is currently impacted or has been impacted in the past by someone with an addition issue. But how did this national problem start?

How the Children’s Home Prepares For Hurricane Season

Posted on June 25, 2021

Hurricane season is upon us and households all over the south have been double-checking their preparations lately to make sure they’re ready for the next storm. But hurricane preparations begin at the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home weeks before the season begins. While our Madison Youth Ranch makes similar preparations, there is a lot more

The Need for Foster Care Services Today

Posted on May 25, 2021

While foster care programs and child welfare systems vary from state to state, few will argue that the system isn’t badly broken or at least in need of serious help. It’s not uncommon for some children to be separated from their siblings. It’s also very common for children in the system to repeatedly be bounced

Tyrese’s Story

Posted on April 29, 2021

Tyrese began his life in Fort Worth, Texas, with his parents, two older brothers, and a younger sister. When Tyrese was very young, his mother and father were sent to prison on drug related charges. When that happened, he went to live with his grandmother, along with his siblings. After a couple of years, he

Our Virtual Day On Campus Has Arrived

Posted on April 04, 2021

At the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, Day On Campus is a very special event that has been held annually since 1983. It’s a day when we invite donors, churches, and friends from across the state to visit us. The fun-filled day includes tours of our Enterprise campus where guests get to visit with some

ME Time

Posted on October 19, 2015

You’ve heard us talk about the Social Emotional Learning model we use at Legacy Scholars Academy and there are a myriad of proven tools we utilize to implement this model in our classrooms. “ME” Time is one of these tools. What is “ME” Time? “ME” Time stands for Music Education Time, but it means so

Candie’s Story

Posted on September 14, 2015

Mad. Mad at her parents. Mad at the world. This is how Candie describes herself before coming to live at the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home. Getting into trouble at home and at school, seeking out ways to provoke her parents and make them angry. By middle school Candie had given up on caring about

Infant Swim Program

Posted on July 17, 2015

These hot Florida summers make many families thankful to have access to a pool. It’s a fun way to spend time together as a family and cool off. But the pool can also be a dangerous place for curious little ones who may find access unsupervised. You can give your child the skills they need

Rob Mitchell: Castaway Kid

Posted on June 12, 2015

Recently, we had the privilege of hosting Rob Mitchell, author of Castaway Kid, for a series of workshops on our campus. Rob grew up in a residential group home as a child and went through similar experiences as our residents, including the aging out process. Castaway Kid is his autobiography of these experiences and his

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Posted on April 15, 2015

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home is committed to strengthening families and promoting the physical and the emotional well-being of children. RECOGNIZING ABUSE Don’t Miss the Signs, a campaign aimed at educating Florida residents on how to recognize and report child abuse shares the following information on

Day on Campus Testimony

Posted on March 30, 2015

On March 21st, we hosted our annual Day on Campus open house event. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to show our campus and share the powerful ways God is moving in this ministry. One of the most impactful moments of the day was a testimony shared by former resident Preston Taylor

Social Emotional Learning

Posted on March 03, 2015

As we share about our newly expanded Aldersgate Academy, you have probably heard us highlighting the Social Emotional Learning tools and environment our teachers and staff are utilizing to transform our students’ academic experience. But what is Social Emotional Learning? SEL refers to a process that integrates not just how a student thinks, but how

Day on Campus 2015

Posted on February 20, 2015

Back in 1983, we decided to celebrate our 75th Anniversary in a big way. We opened the campus up for an open house and invited the community to come and celebrate the ministry. It was a huge hit. People enjoyed this open house celebration so much, we were inundated with requests to do it again

National Mentoring Month

Posted on January 29, 2015

“Be someone who matters to someone who matters”. This is the theme of National Mentoring Month and the impact of a mentor in a young person’s life is tremendous. We recognize that the children who come to live with us here at the Children’s Home are facing a lot of barriers. They need a one-on-one