FAMILIES OF SLAIN CHILDREN, INC.
Our Story
Who We Are.
Video Vault: Our Story
Families of Slain Children, Inc. (FOSCI) was established in 2006. It is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization located in Jacksonville, FL. FOSCI works to support and ensure the emotional and physical well being of families who have lost a family member due to violence and homicide.
On June 23, 2005, Beverly McClain, FOSCI Founder/CEO, received the news that her son Andre had been slain. This tragic incident lead up to McClain mission to help other parents going through the same pain and to help prevent tragedies like she’s experienced from happening again. With little else but her faith, in February 2006, McClain founded Families of Slain Children in Jacksonville, Florida to support, comfort and counsel mothers and families who lost their children to violence.
Today, FOSCI is in a new headquarters, located at 1222 N. Myrtle Avenue, Jacksonville, FL. FOSCI doors are still open and services stronger than ever thanks to donations from the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation, the Community Foundation for Northeastern Florida, and a host of friends, local businesses, churches and FOSCI families. The property is also home to FOSCI’s Wall of Compassion, a memorial wall commemorating the names of Jacksonville’s slain sons and daughters due to senseless violence.
Mission Statement
FOSCI’s mission is to provide an adaptive support system that encourages and enables the emotional and physical well-being of families of slain children.
Counseling Services
FOSCI provides free one-on-one and group short-term counseling to help homicide survivors to identify and work through their through their thoughts and feelings surrounding their victimization.
Advocacy
FOSCI is an advocate for victims’ rights on the local, state, and national levels. Also, FOSCI offer homicide survivors support plus accompaniment to criminal justice proceedings.
