Five middle schoolers who call Children’s Harbor home were selected to participate in the Jason Taylor Foundation’s annual “ Cool Gear for the School Year” initiative, a unique “back to school' shopping experience for 60 under-served children from Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The goal of “Cool Gear for the School Year” is to help children find the confidence they need to start the new school year without distractions. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the foster care youth were given a $300 gift card to shop over Zoom and pick up clothes, backpacks and lunch at a socially distanced drive-through. Miami Dolphins players, cheerleaders and local celebrities were on hand to pass out the items.

“We could not be more grateful to the Jason Taylor Foundation for their generosity and support,” said Tiffani Dhooge, President and CEO of Children’s Harbor. “Our kids really struggle with self-confidence and this experience has helped tremendously with that. It's amazing to see the impact that something as simple as a few new outfits can have on a child's self-esteem.”

Children’s Harbor is a nationally accredited nonprofit agency with a mission to provide a safe harbor and support to at risk children, youth, and families, keeping brothers and sisters together, strengthening families and rebuilding lives.

For more information, visit childrensharbor.org or call 954-252-3072.

About Children’s Harbor

Established in 1996, Children’s Harbor is a nationally accredited nonprofit agency with a mission to provide a safe harbor and support to at risk children, youth, and families-keeping brothers and sisters together, strengthening families, and guiding youth towards independence.

Children’s Harbor provides nurturing, family group homes for 24 siblings and 12 pregnant/parenting teens in the foster care system on our beautiful 8-acre campus in Pembroke Pines. These loving homes allow brothers and sisters and teen mothers and their babies to stay together during a turbulent time in their young lives. Children’s Harbor also helps prevent child abuse through our Family Strengthening Program. Each year, 200 families across Broward County that are experiencing crisis work with family support counselors in their homes to help support, stabilize and prevent the breakdown of the family. The Independent Living teams provide housing, life skills and wrap around support to teens who are aging out of foster care to guide them towards self-sufficiency and independence. To learn more, visit childrensharbor.org.