Conditions Our Children Come From

These boxes are meant to be the wall of a child’s home.
The pictures in this email may be disturbing. These were taken by our staff conducting a home study to help CONANI decide if reunification with family is in the child’s best interest. Sometimes a child’s living situation can be detrimental to their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Even if parents and guardians are well-meaning in their parenting approach, suffering children often need advocacy to ensure that they grow in a safe and stable environment. Some children in the Province of Samaná in the Dominican Republic live in horrific conditions, such as residing in tiny, dilapidated shacks without stable construction, privacy, or basic amenities. Other children experience abuse or neglect at home.The solution may be to remove a suffering child from their home if they are enduring dangerous or unhealthy experiences. Perhaps the parent doesn’t know how to care for the child properly, or mental illness prevents them from creating the stable environment a child needs. In either case, advocacy for the child is vital to ease their suffering. 

How Advocacy Helps Children

Like the Christian-based Advocates of Love, child advocacy promotes the interests, rights, and well-being of children. Our mission is to meet the emotional, educational, physical, and spiritual needs of suffering children and orphans.Through advocacy, we ensure that children in our care are in a loving, safe environment. When possible, children go back to their parents or guardians if they improve their housing, parenting skills, substance abuse, and other issues.However, the Children and Adolescents National Council (CONANI) may prematurely reunite children with guardians who still cannot care for them. Reuniting children with families that can’t fulfill their basic needs like adequate housing, food, education, education, and love can harm them.

Advocates of Love ensure that children leave bad situations and make sure they don’t go back to them. 

How to Help Children in Need

Advocates of Love has a commitment to all children in dangerous or unhealthy environments in Samaná, DR. Our advocacy for children allows our organization to give young minds the love, care, and guidance they need to flourish. Sponsoring a child can change their life. All donations go directly toward your sponsored child’s mental, physical, and emotional needs. To learn more about Advocates of Love, our mission, and how you can help, call (813) 321-3904 today.

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Melissa Schol

Melissa is originally from Ocala, FL and after moving around Florida, Georgia & North Carolina, she has settled back in Ocala. Melissa went to the College of Central Florida and has pursued a life of service in various administrative, customer service and marketing roles. She has now settled into her dream role as the Communications Director for Advocates of Love.

Melissa was on the state board of the Florida Foster and Adoptive Parent Association while serving 4 years as a foster and then adoptive mom. She has two adopted daughters, Kenzi and Shyne, who keep her busy. Melissa also serves in her local church. 

You can reach Melissa via email: melissa@advocatesoflove.org.