Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis, AT&T Regional Director of External and Legislative Affairs Vic Beninate, Children’s Harbor President & CEO Elizabeth Wynter, and ChildNet President & CEO Emilio Benitez during the check presentation.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  – ChildNet, a Community-Based Care lead agency that protects abused, abandoned and neglected children in the community, received a $500,000 contribution from AT&T during its September 27th Circle of Supporters Mixer sponsored by Hoffman’s Chocolates. Local notables and dignitaries including Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis and Florida State Representative George Moraitis all gathered at the BBX Capital office in Fort Lauderdale to show their support for ChildNet.

During the event, Vic Beninate, AT&T Regional Director of External and Legislative Affairs, presented ChildNet President & CEO Emilio Benitez and Children’s Harbor President & CEO Elizabeth Wynter with AT&T’s contribution.

ChildNet was selected as one of 18 recipients to receive a portion of the $10 million that AT&T Aspire will distribute nationwide. ChildNet will allocate the funds to Children’s Harbor in Broward County and Best Foot Forward in Palm Beach County to implement the "Grounded for Life" program that supports youth in foster care as they work to graduate high school.

Following the presentation, Emilio Benitez and ChildNet Board Chair Sigrid McCawley both spoke to guests about the importance of supporting youth in foster care throughout the South Florida community. Elizabeth Wynter also spoke about the “Grounded for Life” program and how the tutors and mentors play a central role in supporting participants as they work to achieve high school graduation.

Throughout the evening, guests were treated to wine and a variety of chocolates provided by Hoffman’s Chocolates. Circle of Supporters events bring together champions, visionaries, advocates and partners of ChildNet to make a difference in the lives of abused, abandoned and neglected children.

ChildNet was selected by the Florida Department of Children & Families to serve as the Community-Based Care (CBC) lead agency in both Broward and Palm Beach counties. As such, it is the single private nonprofit entity responsible for administration of the local child welfare system in each county. ChildNet fulfills this responsibility by managing comprehensive networks of child welfare service providers and, in Broward County, by also serving as the single centralized child welfare case management provider. The agency’s mission is to protect abused, abandoned and neglected children in the communities it serves. Fulfillment of this mission requires constant input and support from community stakeholders and service providers.  For more information about ChildNet, please call 954-414-6000 in Broward or 561-352-2500 in Palm Beach, or visit www.ChildNet.us and www.facebook.com/ChildNet.