Boys Town South Florida hosted its second annual Community Action Summit on April 25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens. The Summit focused on the root causes of juvenile delinquency and strategies for mitigating it at the individual, family and community levels. The panel discussion was targeted at prevention and early intervention services to help families remove barriers, learn skills and utilize resources so they can better guide their children to grow up in safe and strong communities.
Every year, Boys Town South Florida recognizes a Family of the Year, who completes one or more of their evidence-based programs in a positive way. This year, the Family of the Year was Lori and Peter Hamlin and their 12-year-old son Chase, who participated in Boys Town’s Care Coordination Services program. While we know every child deserves a chance to grow, thrive and feel loved, circumstances are different for each child. In Chase’s case, his story is one of perseverance, strength and the unwavering support of those who refused to give up on him.
From the womb of his biological mom who suffered from drug addiction, Chase started facing hardships. As a baby, Chase was diagnosed with multiple vision impairments, which made his early years harder.
In 2024, the elementary school Chase attended referred him to Boys Town South Florida. For eight months, the Hamlin family received home visits from the Care Coordination Services supervisor, who shared with them different parenting and coping skills and resources to help them remove as many barriers as they could to help Chase get on a positive path. A turning point was the young boy’s dedication to improving his coping skills. He learned strategies to manage his frustration, to calm down and learn about boundaries and personal space. He also learned respectful ways to share frustrations, and to talk with others about his sight challenges. With the right resources, parenting support, including 24/7 crisis call services, the family strengthened their relationship with one another and learned new ways to address issues while remaining calm.
Another important recognition presented at the Summit was Boys Town South Florida’s Youth Impact Award presented to the Honorable Judge Kathleen Kroll. The Youth Impact Award recognizes community leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to empowering and positively influencing the lives of young people. Judge Kroll has dedicated three exceptional decades to improving the trajectory of many children’s lives.
Event attendees had the opportunity to watch the summary of the Blue Baby documentary, which follows eight youth and their journey at Boys Town as an alternative to prison. Scenes from the film showed key risk factors that impact juvenile delinquency, as well as intervention services that can help prevent youth from ever entering the juvenile justice system. Following the film, a dynamic panel discussion featured leading voices in juvenile justice, prevention services and behavioral health. Thank you to the following panelists and the emcee for driving the meaningful conversation.
The Honorable Judge Melanie Surber, 15th Circuit, Juvenile Division
- The Honorable Judge Melanie Surber, 15th Circuit, Juvenile Division
- Sara Mooney, Chief of Police with the School District of Palm Beach County Police Department
- Johnny Sanders, Senior Regional Outreach Coordinator, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Office of Prevention Services
- Ann Berner, President/CEO, Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network
- Dr. Diane Kelly Andreou, Former Director of Boys Town South Florida’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic
- Emcee: Jim Grimes, Anchor, CBS12 News
The Summit was concluded with a call to action, as attendees were encouraged to contact their Florida senators to support the reauthorization of Titles II and V of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The bill's overall mission is to enhance juvenile justice reforms by reducing unnecessary incarceration, promoting diversion programs and ensuring fair treatment within the justice system.
Boys Town South Florida is grateful to everyone who attended, including elected officials, commissioners Gregg Weiss and Bobby Powell, and School Board Member Virginia Savietto. We also thank our Mission Sponsors, Wellington Regional Medical Center and Florida Power and Light, for making this event possible.
Together, Boys Town will continue to help children and families in South Florida.
