Fox 4 Shines a Light on Valerie’s House and LCSO Partnership to Help Keep Kids Safe

At Valerie’s House, we know how powerful it can be when a community comes together to care for its children—and we’re incredibly grateful to our local media partners who help tell that story.

This week, Fox 4 Senior Reporter Emily Young visited our Fort Myers Family is Forever Home to cover a meaningful collaboration between Valerie’s House and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). Together, we offered free child fingerprinting during our summer camp to help families stay better prepared in case of an emergency.

The story aired as national headlines focused on the devastating flooding in Texas—reminding all of us how quickly emergencies can unfold and how important it is to plan ahead.

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Emily shared during the broadcast. “Especially here in Southwest Florida, where we’re no stranger to natural emergencies like hurricanes and flooding.”

The fingerprint cards are not stored in any law enforcement database—they’re given directly to parents or caregivers to keep at home. It’s a simple but powerful tool that offers peace of mind: better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

For our Valerie’s House families, many of whom are navigating the grief of losing a parent, sibling, or caregiver, this service was especially meaningful. The fingerprinting was offered as part of our Forever Summer Camp, where kids and teens build connections, express their grief, and feel surrounded by support.

We’re deeply thankful to Fox 4 for taking the time to spotlight this moment—not just to highlight the event itself, but to raise awareness about the free fingerprinting service LCSO offers to the broader community throughout the year. If you’re part of a school, organization, or parent group and would like to host your own fingerprinting event, LCSO encourages you to reach out.

Our heartfelt thanks also go to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for their kindness, presence, and continued partnership. They brought a sense of calm, care, and professionalism to our home—and helped our families feel seen and protected.

At Valerie’s House, we believe in the power of grief support, community, and preparation. Through partnerships like these—and the local media outlets who help tell the story—we’re creating safer, stronger spaces for families across Southwest Florida.