Established in 2010, 4KIDS of Tampa was founded by the vision of Irene Smith, a long-time child advocate for children in foster care since serving as a Guardian Ad Litem back in 1994. Irene witnessed firsthand the burden of the foster children as they were bounced between as many as 21 foster homes in less than 2 years, without ever knowing what a stable, loving family entails. Irene has seen the heartbreaks and despairs in the faces of these children and felt the burden in her heart to do something about it. She became the voice for these children, a voice that eventually launched a movement. Her relentless passion for the plight of foster children gave life to 4KIDS of South Florida, a ministry that has cared for over 10,000 children since its inception 14 years ago. Irene was convinced that the answer to the foster care crisis lay in a unique collaboration between the agencies charged by the state with the welfare of these “temporary orphans” and the body of Christ charged by God to care for orphans.

Today, Irene’s vision continues as 4KIDS of Tampa partners with government and child placing agencies as well as the faith-based communities, to recruit, train and support foster families in the Tampa Bay area.