JAFCO event bids so long to summer

The nonprofit Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options organization welcomed the new school year with its 25th annual Back-toSchool Block Party.

The Children’s Village in Sunrise was in celebration mode with inflatable water slides, a bounce house, pony rides, face painting and more. The highlight of the event involved motorcycle rides provided by the event’s sponsors, the Jewish motorcycle club known as the King David Bikers.

“JAFCO is not only close to our hearts, but it’s one of two charities that we support all year round,” said Shelly Pittleman, chairman of the sponsorship committee. “We’re really committed to JAFCO.”

The bikers help put the event together every year, which gives the kids an opportunity to have fun with friends, while getting them ready for the school year with new supplies donated by members of the community in a back-to-school drive.

“We’re really appreciative to just make it a little easier on the families so they don’t have to go out shopping quite as much,” said Sarah Franco, executive director of JAFCO.

The event also serves to invite back families created through the foster care and adoption program. The Children’s Village houses a 50-bed facility, part of which is a 16-bed emergency shelter for neglected children.

Among the families that return every year are Melissa Ehrlich and her son, Miles, 9. Miles was adopted at just two days old after his birth mother realized she would not be able to take care of him. The Ehrlichs were then chosen by the birth mother through JAFCO.

Ehrlich said they enjoy returning to see familiar faces that went through the process around the same time as them. She added that Miles knows JAFCO as his family and that he’s not embarrassed to talk about his adoption.

“He’s proud of it; he’s not ashamed or anything,” Ehrlich said. “JAFCO, I think, has helped make it more not so stigmatized for children.”

Besides the emergency shelter, there is also a group home on the compound where older children tend to stay, as well as large sibling groups. Some of the children oftentimes do not want to be in a family and end up staying or are otherwise suffering from trauma. In these cases, they can stay up until the age of 21, at which point they’ll need to move out but can still be helped with living expenses and whatnot.

Franco said these circumstances of long-term stays can sometimes make the block party bittersweet for the children, despite how happy they might otherwise be with their family at JAFCO.

“It will be a hard night for them here because they’ll realize that they’re not with their family,” said Franco. “They saw other families and they’re probably wondering why they can’t have one.”

For more information on Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options, visit JAFCO.org.