BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

Eckerd Youth Alternatives (EYA) and the University Area Community Development Center, 14013 N. 22nd Street, will host the second Community-Based Child Welfare Community Forum. The forum will take place at 6:30 p.m., and will target families residing in 33612 and 33613 zip codes.

This is the second of several planned community-based Child Welfare and Foster Care Community Forums.

EYA was awarded the contract after nine children in custody of HKI died during a two-year period. Beginning on July 1st, Mrs. Lorita Shirley, Executive Director, of EYA, and her staff at Eckerd Youth Alternatives, will replace Hillsborough Kids Inc.

Mrs. Shirley will be on hand to discuss the transition of child welfare services from one agency to the other. She will also discuss how the transition will affect parents or legal guardians whose children are in the system.

She is encouraging those families to come out and share their concerns about how to improve the services offered.

Mrs. Shirley stated that the first meetings are going to take place in the zip codes with the highest number of children removed from homes. She feels that in order to address the problem, the agency must not only be connected to the community, but it must also accept feedback from the residents on how to remove obstacles for improved performance.

For more information, email hillsboroughcbc@eckerd.org, or visit the web site at www.Eckerd.org/Hillsborough.