Finding Homes for Harbinger Youths

In October, regional staff with the Florida Department of Children and Families , a residential facility for abused or neglected boys, that required them to to take corrective action to address concerns about care for Harbinger youths.

In late November, the top administrator of the nonprofit that ran Harbinger House, told the state that the nonprofit was “voluntarily surrendering” the state licensing for the home. 

Isabella Cox, executive director of Juvenile Services Program, told the state she would surrender the licenses on the day the last youth living at Harbinger would be "discharged,"  which was scheduled for Dec. 1. The state said the boys were moved elsewhere.

Local agencies serving children in foster care spoke to Patch about finding a place for the youths who were residing at the house and the challenges they faced.

Eckerd Community Alternatives, which provides placement services for children in foster care in Pinellas and Pasco counties, said it had kids placed at Harbinger at the time of its closure, according to Eckerd spokeswoman April Putzulu.

"Those youth were transitioned to appropriate placements in their home counties when the facility closed," she wrote in an email.

Harbinger House was a foster care resource for several community-based care lead agencies and judicial circuits, Putzulu stated.

"Eckerd Community Alternatives makes every attempt to place children in their home county (the county from which they were removed from their parents’ home) whenever it’s safe and appropriate to do so and in order to minimize disruption to the child, such as a change of schools," Putzulu wrote.

There are two other licensed group care homes in Pasco County, Putzulu said, Hope Youth Ranch and Youth and Family Alternatives' RAP House.

RAP House, which is in New Port Richey, serves boys and girls ages 10-17 who experience crises like running away, homelessness, foster care and truancy issues.

Andrew Coble, vice president of prevention services at Youth and Family Alternatives, said that his agency did not receive any Harbinger youth to his knowledge.

"Traditionally Harbinger House worked with a more difficult level of youth behavior that would not normally be eligible for our program, but that is not across the board," Coble stated.

"Undoubtedly, this will increase the level of referrals, however, from ECA and other lead agencies to try and place these youth who can be difficult to place due to behavior issues. ... It does place an even greater burden on the current resources and the system to locate appropriate placements for these youth."

Putzulu said there is always a need for more foster parents in Pasco and Pinellas counties or more information about becoming a foster parent please call the Eckerd Foster Parent Recruitment Line at 1-866-233-0790 or visit www.EckerdCBC.org/foster-parents.