Success Stories

A veteran and father of four, Max found himself in a messy custody battle with the estranged mother of his children while at the same time struggling to keep his housing amidst rising court fees. Max was at risk of losing his housing voucher when he was referred to Families Forward by the Strong Families ...

Vital Link OC kicked off the 2020 – 2021 school year with all new virtual events that exceeded expectations with hands-on, educational activities! Vital Link OC launched their first Vital Link OC App that was made specifically for students to network amongst each other and industry professionals in a safe environment.   In October 2020, ...

On December 3rd, families were ushered into parking spots at Mariners Church and given an FM radio station to dial into. Pre-packaged snack packs were delivered, and cast members took turns singing carols on a tiny stage, applauded by car horns. As the show began, guests heard the crackle from their car stereos as the ...

Life was typical for self-described “drama kid” Geni, now age 16. She went to class, hung out with friends and spent time rehearsing musical theater. But two years ago, a small lesion that had been in Geni’s brain since birth began making itself known. One night, she woke up and couldn’t move. A few days ...

“My students enjoy learning the hip hop dance moves. They are excited and more engaged in school as a result. It also provides students with an opportunity to express themselves and be successful and proud of their hard work.” – Ms. Alexander, Sally Ride Elementary School Teacher   Support for OASIS has enabled us to ...

It’s not just Kameron, Declan, and Aubriana (photographed below), it was over 20 children and their families that were extra thankful for the Tampa Bay Lightning! Captain, Steven Stamkos, and alternative Captain, Ryan McDonagh, took time out of their busy schedules to come visit with newly diagnosed and active treatment children to share in the ...

Tis’ the season for Friendsgiving! Four families who met at the Children’s Cancer Center when one child from each family was diagnosed with cancer have created lifelong friendships. The families met even though their children received treatment from different hospitals.      While their children were being treated they received emotional, educational and financial support from ...

Sophia is a 14 year old girl who began therapy just prior to quarantine. She wasn’t very thrilled to transition her sessions to zoom because she enjoyed the time away from her family. After working with her mother to provide a private space, Sophia was fully acclimated to Zoom and opened about her suicidal thoughts. ...

As the country began lockdown in April, Andy also started therapy with Richstone. At the time, he was reported having difficulty adjusting to his home learning environment. Being isolated from his friends made him sad and it didn’t help that he couldn’t run around freely in the school yard like he used to. This resulted in ...

Charles and Michael always wanted a large family and knew that foster care and adoption could fulfill both their dream of a large family and the child’s need of a loving and stable home. After discovering Children’s Bureau through a TV show and quickly getting started with the process, they now have officially adopted six ...