Guest Commentary | ‘Heartfelt Hangouts’ let children, teens be kids for a change
Most adults can recall joyful memories from their childhood and teenage years – the kind that come with sticky fingers from melting Popsicles, birthday candles glowing as friends and family sing, innocent shenanigans on school field trips and the comfort of feeling safe enough to express themselves.
For youth in foster care, opportunities for those memories can be scarce and are often interrupted by circumstances far beyond their control. Removal from their home, court hearings, new schools, unfamiliar caregivers and constant uncertainty forces children and teens to grow up too quickly and keep their guard up. Instead of soaking in normal childhood milestones, they get stuck in survival mode to protect themselves emotionally in a world that feels unpredictable, unsafe and cold.
A.N.A.’s Friends walks alongside youth of all ages navigating the dependency court system. Through initiatives like A.N.A.’s Comfort Closet, our Children’s Needs Program and Heartfelt Hangouts, we work tirelessly to give local children and teens the sense of normalcy they long for.
Heartfelt Hangouts was created in 2025 to make space for laughter, connection, and the kind of moments that become favorite childhood memories, especially when childhood has not always felt safe or easy. Each month, children and their caregivers have opportunities to go on classic childhood excursions that allow them to connect with other kids and teens in similar circumstances, learn new skills like caring for plants or how to compose themselves in public and experience a sense of childhood normalcy. Each hangout is made possible by generous donors.
We all remember those fun outings we had as a child — visiting the arcade, going on a boat ride or stopping at a tourist attraction. Not all children are fortunate enough to have those opportunities, and Heartfelt Hangouts can create positive memories for children while surrounding them with a community of friends of care.
Through positive, happy outings like going to Dave & Buster’s for pizza and games or caring for a mangrove sapling to later replant and replenish the shorelines, youth learn critical truths about themselves. They learn that they are safe, capable, that they belong and that they matter. They form friendships with peers who understand their experiences, and caregivers find connections and encouragement with others in similar situations.
When we invest in giving abused, neglected and abandoned youth normal childhood memories, we are not ignoring what they’ve been through, rather helping counterbalance their experiences. It shows them that their story is still being written, and even through trauma, joy can still be a prevalent part of the narrative.
A.N.A.’s Friends relies on support from additional individuals, businesses, foundations and nonprofits to support future Heartfelt Hangout experiences. To learn more, please call 239-245-7787 or visit ANAsfriends.org to make a secure donation.
Jessica Stanfield is CEO of A.N.A.’s Friends, a nonprofit organization that supports Southwest Florida children and teens who have been Abused, Neglected and Abandoned (A.N.A.).