JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Danae’ Bunso is a mom to six children.
"Four are biological and two we fostered and then adopted," Bunso said. "We have been foster parents for six years and have had 23 foster kids through our doors at some point over those years."
When she heard about the non-profit Isaiah 117 House that started in Tennessee, she knew she wanted to open one in Jacksonville. She is now working to make that a reality. She and her team are raising awareness and support for the home that will serve children in Northeast Florida coming into foster care on removal day while they wait to placed with a family.
"There are now five Isaiah homes in Tennessee, and now there are 20 expansions across the country. We are in what's called the expansion phase," Bunso said. "We are the first one in the state of Florida."
The need is great. In 2020, the Department of Children and Families said nearly 13,000 children were taken into protective custody in Florida, 2,331 of them were in the Northeast Florida region.
"A lot of people don't know about removal day or what happens on removal day, and so just the awareness of it is really what we're trying to create in this community," Bunso said. "A lot of these kids end up waiting in offices, and they just kind of are waiting for the caseworker to find that fit or a placement for them."
This Isaiah 117 House will allow them to enter a home and be greeted with love and care.
"If they want Chick-fil-A we'll get them Chick-fil-A. If they need a bath, we can do that for them," Bunso said. "If kids need lice treatments, we can do that, and that will also ease the load for these foster families that are coming to get these kids and bring them into their care."
She plans to spend the next six to eight months raising awareness about the Isaiah 117 House and getting the community engaged because when it opens she says they will need lots of volunteers.
"Our hope with the Isaiah 117 House is to reduce trauma for children on that particular day and help lighten the load of caseworkers as well, as well as make the transition easier for foster families or kinship families who will be taking placement of these children," Bunso explained.
She does not yet know where the Isaiah House will be located in Duval County and if it will be new construction or an existing home.
"Other counties and other states have been donated land and a home has been built. There are plans for a home, if that's what happens in our community," Bunso said. "As we have these meetings, and we spread that awareness and share our needs then we'll just kind of see what comes of that."
If you're interested in learning more about the Isaiah 117 House, the first information session will be Sunday, March 21 at 5 p.m. at Emmaus Church at 3245 Sans Pareil Street in Jacksonville. Bunso said it will also be live streamed on the Isaiah 117 House Facebook page.
“This is a great opportunity to learn more about Isaiah 117 House and how to partner with us in making a transformational impact in the lives of children in Duval County,” Founder Ronda Paulson said. “We encourage everyone whether you are simply curious about our services or if you know you are ready to make a commitment and get involved to join us as we take this exciting next step in Duval County.”