As its name implies, Caterpillars to Butterflies is all about transformation — but this organization isn’t about insects — it’s all about helping Pasco County foster children to develop their “wings.”
After Guardian ad Litem children are placed within a foster home, Caterpillars to Butterflies, a Dade City nonprofit, sets about trying to discern the children’s desires and to help fulfill them.
It does this by working with the foster families, who seek to find out the child’s dreams and desires — and by helping the foster families find ways to fulfill them.
It’s a way to help these youth have a more well-rounded childhood, explained Tracy Hanson, president and founder of the nonprofit foundation.
Hanson has been a Guardian ad Litem volunteer for the past five years – a position that inspired her to create Caterpillars to Butterflies.
As a volunteer, she has the opportunity to mentor and befriend kids who are taken out of unsuitable households. She also gets to advocate for their best interest within the judicial system.
However, the volunteer said, the outcome for many of these kids can be heart-wrenching.
“One thing I noticed in the court system is these children would be taken from their homes and CPI (Child Protective Investigations) hands them a garbage bag and says, ‘Put your life in this bag. Then we’re going to remove you from the only home you’ve ever known.’ That’s very defeating to these children,” Hanson said.
In response, she began providing the youths with duffel bags for more durability – and Caterpillars to Butterflies was born.
The idea is to give these children a chance to have experiences they enjoy, and to bring some joy into their lives.
The organization began in January 2018.
Caterpillars to Butterflies covers expenses that foster families incur, when helping the children take part in camps or other programs.
This summer, the foundation will be funding foster kids for sports camps, as well as karate, swimming and dance classes.
“We want them to see that we believe in them, that they can have dreams [and] we’re going to help them fulfill their dreams,” Hanson said.
The foundation gathers kids and their new families to Hanson’s farm for two main events each year: Easter and Christmas celebrations.
At those events, kids get to make and showcase their own art crafts to the public. They even get special visits from the Easter bunny and Santa.
Events, such as the Christmas program, raise money to support the kids’ adventures.
With no government assistance, the foundation relies solely on community support for monetary needs.
“We always need sponsors, we always need funding for these camps,” Hanson stated. “Every nickel that comes in, goes to these children.”
Hanson does speaking engagements to increase public awareness of the program and to raise money.
The organization also is a partner with the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, which enables it to reach out for help.
Hanson said Caterpillars to Butterflies understands that the foster parents often face financial constraints.
“The stipend that the government gives the foster parents is not enough to go beyond your basic food – maybe a little bit of clothing,” she said.
For instance, there was a case last December when seven youths were placed in homes that did not have adequate bedding.
The foundation stepped in and provided mattresses, sheet sets and comforters.
It also provides clothing and shoes, in some cases.
As a new school year approaches, efforts are underway to collect new backpacks for foster kids and to fill them with essential school supplies.
“It’s not just the children in the system that need the help, it’s the entire family,” Hanson explained.
Besides lessening the financial burden on foster parents, Caterpillars to Butterflies gives foster parents a chance to take a break and have some leisure time for themselves.
During Foster Parent Night Out, for instance, kids do crafts, and enjoy food and movies, while their parents get some time off.
Hanson and her staff’s long-term goal is to expand their program.
They’ve been using social media, such as Facebook, to get their name out, and Hanson is eyeing a vacant building across from her office, in hopes that she might one day use it for the program.
She sees possibilities.
With additional space, for instance, former foster kids who are now of legal age, could mentor current foster kids.
With more space, the program could offer cooking classes and provide an area that could be used for visitation time with their biological parents, and counseling services.
Hanson also would like to provide tutoring services for the children and to raise scholarship funds for them.
“So many of these children see no future, no hope, and the butterfly represents transformation,” she explained. “They can live a wonderful life. They can fly.”
To learn more about Caterpillars to Butterflies or offer a donation, visit Caterflies.org.
Published July 10, 2019
