Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffani Dhooge.
Hi Tiffani, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career in human services began 25 years ago in the broom closet of a local foster care agency. As humbling as that entry level season was, it provided me with a ground-level perspective of the true challenges faced by those I was trusted to serve and I carried those lessons with me through the decades that followed.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, not even close.
If you’re asking whether it’s been polished and professional and linear—no. It’s been more like trench warfare. But if I’m being honest, the trenches are where I learned the most; about the kids, about the system, and about myself.
There have been times I was running programs on duct tape and adrenaline. Times I was sitting across the table from decision-makers who hadn’t stepped foot on a campus in years trying to explain why a traumatized teenager wasn’t thriving under a policy written for toddlers. Times I was told to sit down, be quiet, and “trust the process” while watching kids fall through the cracks of that same process.
There were budget cuts. Burnout. Middle-of-the-night crisis calls. And more than a few moments where I thought: “Why am I still doing this?”
So no, the road hasn’t been smooth.
But the turbulence taught me exactly what kind of leader I want to be and exactly what kind of leader I never want to become.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Children’s Harbor is a nationally accredited child welfare organization that serves teenagers in foster care…and we’re unapologetically focused on them. Not toddlers. Not babies. Teens. The ones most people overlook because they’re “too old,” “too complicated,” or “too hopeless’
We operate two campuses in Broward County, Florida. One is a group home residential setting for teenagers, ages 12–17 who’ve experienced unspeakable trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, trafficking). The other provides affordable housing and wraparound support for young adults, ages 18–23, who’ve aged out of foster care. Between the two, we support about 70 young people every single day.
We do more than house them.
We surround them.
We provide therapy, life skills, education support, and a space that feels as much like home as we can possibly make it; often for the first time in their entire lives. And when the system fails these kids – and it typically does – we don’t walk away; we bunker down.
What sets us apart?
We’ve never tried to be everything to everyone.
We do one thing, and we do it relentlessly: We show up for teenagers who’ve been through hell.
And we make sure they know: You are not what happened to you.
What am I most proud of, brand-wise?
That our name means something.
When people hear “Children’s Harbor,” they don’t picture a “facility”
They picture safety.
They picture family.
They picture a young adult moving into their first apartment and texting us for help with their lease.
They picture healing—and hope—built on the foundation of real, consistent relationships.
If you’re looking for a brand that markets glossy promises and polished impact reports, we’re not it.
But if you’re looking for the people who stay in the trench and who fight for kids that everyone else gave up on—you’ve found us.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
My great-grandparents settled in Hialeah, and for four generations, our family has called the Miami area home. It’s more than where I’m from… it’s part of who I am.
I was raised around strong, loud, loyal people who showed up for their families, worked hard, and didn’t wait around for someone else to fix things. It shaped who I am as a leader. And it absolutely shaped how I fight for the kids we serve.
What do I like least?
Honestly? The disconnect.
We live in one of the most photographed, overhyped cities in the country but too many of our kids are completely invisible. We’ve got multimillion-dollar developments going up while teens are aging out of foster care into poverty and homelessness. We’ve glamorized the skyline and ignored the stories unfolding a few blocks away.
That’s why Children’s Harbor exists.
We don’t chase trends; we chase down the kids everyone else gave up on.
And we fight to make sure every one of them has a chance to build something better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://childrensharbor.org
- Instagram: childrensharborinc
- Facebook: childrensharborinc
- LinkedIn: childrensharborinc
- Youtube: thisisnowparentingteenstoday
