Reported by Margaret Kavanagh
MELBOURNE -- Groups around Central Florida have been preparing to deal with children that have been displaced because of the earthquake in Haiti.
Leaders at Brevard Family Partnership said there have been no placements of Haitian children in Brevard County, but they are preparing.
While other charities collect food and water for victims in need, Brevard Family Partnership is contactign foster parents and taking an assessment of what resources they have in the county to make available for any children who come and need homes.
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Officials said they are trying to figure out the number of people who speak Creole, and how many foster homes are able to be used if needed.
Leaders said they are being proactive in contacting foster parents of Haitian decent, and others that are familiar with the culture.
Chief Operations Officer Jim Carlson said there was a similar type of effort and intensity when the hurricanes hit Florida in 2004, but this situation is much different.
“Nothing on the scale of what we are seeing in Haiti, so no, we’ve never had to respond to something like this before,” Carlson told News 13.
He said the group has been working very closely with the Florida Department of Children and Families. They are also getting some of their staff who will join other social service agency workers at the Orlando International Airport to greet children and families arriving on several flights from Haiti.
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