Our Mission

Far too many families are “broken.” In the Tampa Bay region there are approximately 8,000 children out of their homes in some type of foster care! There are many reasons for this, but often it comes down to:

• Too much of a broken world for families to function with the kind of love God wants for His children,
• Too much pressure from society, and
• Not enough time to live life the way God desires for us.

Because of the enormous weight of this world, many parents lose sight of the blessing and needs of their children. The result can be traumatized children who will then take that trauma to the next generation and beyond in a vicious cycle. We want to break that cycle now! Idlewild Baptist Church and The Idlewild Foundation are working together to help foster families in a wide variety of areas:

• Funding TBRI® therapy and other counseling as needed,
• Encouraging and building Support Groups,
• Creating and supporting Care Communities and through those communities and other wise, helping with respite care for foster families,
• Offering annual passes for the entire family to The Florida Aquarium and tickets to ZooTampa to participating families, giving families affordable and wholesome activities for all,
• Funding Awanas, as well as many recreational and other activities at Idlewild Baptist Church, for foster children,
• Funding memberships for the whole family in the Tampa Metropollitan YMCAs,
• Working cooperatively with and supporting foster closets as well as other agencies and ministries working in the foster care area, and
• Working with the Guardian ad Litem organization to help hospitalized children headed into foster care due to substance exposure or abuse.

We want to make a difference in a ministry that can help draw stressed and broken families into a church community. There they can find love and support for their families and their children.

This is God’s plan for people, families and His church – and with His help, our land can be healed.