About Us
The Toby Center provides pragmatic information, education, individualized guidance and support to single, separated, divorced and never-married parents.
"What children see at home, they will do to society."
World famous child psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, stated in the 1940's that parents and homelife serve as effective models for children. To that end, The Toby Center seeks to improve outcomes for children through helping parents and children successfully transition when parents choose to separate.
The Toby Center is a non profit corporation, affiliatied with the national Children's Rights Council. It was created in Florida to offer critical services to families and individuals in transition. We remain faithful to offering information, education and support with understanding and compassion. Our work is based on academic research and partnership with the Children's Rights Council.
The Center's design is based on many years of experience and research of its founder, Dr. Mark D. Roseman. Dr. Roseman has worked with hundreds of parents and many practitioners while serving with the Children's Rights Council (www.crckids.org) home office in Washington, D.C.
The Children's Rights Council
From 1999-2005, Dr. Roseman served as Eastern Director for Child Access Services at the CRC. In Washington, he worked closely with CRC co-founder and President, David L. Levy, Esq., in the design of six national conferences and the creation of CRC's magazine, Children.
During this period, Attorney Levy demonstrated to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the research which demonstrated that child support should include the child's rights to two parents who loved the child.
It was through Mr. Levy's efforts in 1998 that then Federal Director of Child Support Enforcement, Judge David Gray Ross, stated that child support "...was both emotional as well as financial."
We believe that this Federal perspective articulates what is in the best interests of children. The challenge is to implement this standard.
A national speaker on Children's Best Interests and child outcomes, Dr. Roseman advocates the need for all professionals working with family members to 'be on the same page' in their understanding of how adults and children react to family court litigation, child custody and access (visitation) changes.
His research on child outcomes, divorce and family dynamics "Improving
Representation of Divorcing Parents and Children," was published in the American Journal of Family Law, Spring 2007, Vol 21, 1. To read the article, click here.
Background
Says Roseman,"I have found that child behavior, academic achievement and their own love relationships are greatly improved when both parents remain involved in nurturing their children."
"Divorce is complex, frustrating and frightening for adults in the process. It is even moreso for children who have little comprehension of the world at large. Their safe and protecting home is now in flux, perhaps turmoil. They question the present, they fear the future. "
Here is an educational video clip for all family members which helps acknowledge the complexity of divorce from the child's perspective. "Heartful of Love" is a cartoon film pilot produced by educator, Bette Margolis. Bette prepared this video in partnership with Phoenix Productions for Arizona Public TV broadcasting. Bette passed away prematurely in 2007, prior to completing the project. Click here to view video.
Center programs, seminars and services are individualized, personal and professional. Toby Center Advisory Board Members come from many disciplines including psychology, law, pastoral science, education and medicine. As Bronfenbrenner observed in his family system model, we also believe that individuals and family units are influenced by our experience, parental values and perspectives of our neighbors and leaders.
CONTEMPORARY FAMILY ISSUES
How our society acknowledges and understands the individual is also complicated. Those who create and enforce law and policy themselves are also products of their unique family dynamics and society.
All of our perspectives are formed by our parental behaviors, our own childhood, education processes, community involvement and the myriad of each individual's life experience.
We believe the Toby Center is unique in service to those concerned about divorce transition, custody and child access issues and for family advocacy. We invite your suggestions for improving our current services and for offering additional services you feel will be important in your own life, family and corporation.
Contact us! Become a sustaining member! Join our Advisory Board! Help us to make a distinctive and substantial impact for families today. Call Mark at 561-375-8861 or email tobycenter@aol.com.
What We Offer
1. Referrals for therapeutic interventions.
2. Speakers Bureau for professional groups, community organizations and motivational needs.
3. Workshops, Trainings and Professional Development.
4. Employers (Large and Small): Let us help your bottom line. We can: a) Improve Employee Performance and b) Reduce Workplace Conflicts.
Toby Center Mediation Service Consultants provide assessment, diagnosis and recommendations for resolving worksite conflicts. Toby Center Consultants are trained mediators with corporate and business experience. We offer stress management with on site group trainings. (Stay tuned for web based trainings.)
TOBY CENTER CONSULTANTS may be retained to improve, design and implement communication procedures for employee retention, job performance and sales.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK
Join our research and advocacy team. Experienced professionals from across social science and social service disciplines are welcome! College students who want internship opportunities may apply for affiliation!
Volunteer to deliver any of our services. Are you a mediator? Want to become a supervised visitation monitor or manager? Let us train you!
Become a Business/Corporate Donor: Your in-kind or financial contribution will be valuable to us. We need assistance with printing, marketing, overhead costs. We wish to keep our individual client services affordable for all people.
Become a Business Sponsor: As a Sponsor we will gladly place your advertisement, corporate name and corporate logo or link on our website.
Contact 561-37-8861 with questions and requests.
TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Kindly make a tax deductible donation to the Toby Center. Consider: Your tax deductible contribution of $100 will pay for two hours of visitation. A contribution of $1000 will defray parent expenses for six months of supervised visitation and consultation services. Our liability insurance may cost upwards of $1800 annually per year.
Direct your tax deductible dollars to the Toby Center to defray the expense for our 1) supervised visitation program; 2) family mediation services; 3) website; and 4) newsmagazine, Contemporary Family. TO DONATE, CLICK HERE: http://tobycenter.bbnow.org/donate.php.
Or, you may send your tax-deductible contribution to: The Toby Center, P.O. Box 741851, Boynton Beach, FL 33474. Thank you!
Volunteer Opportunities and Student Internships Available!
Looking to make an immediate effect through volunteering? We can provide that! Are you a student needing community service hours? Want an internship? Call Dr. Mark Roseman, 561-375-8861, 860-271-3294 or email your inquiry at tobycenter@aol.com. Thank you!
BECOME A TRAINED CHILD ACCESS PROFESSIONAL: Learn to work with children and non-custodial parents in our expanding supervised visitation program. You will be trained as a Child Access Monitor. Become a Manager! Just four hours every other weekend, Saturday or Sunday!
BECOME AN ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER: Professionals sought from different disciplines, government, organizations to assist with business planning, services, organization and development. Please write to Mark Roseman at tobycenter@aol.com or call Mark at 561-375-8861 or 860-271-3294.
DONATE YOUR SKILLS: WE NEED WEBSITE MANAGER - POLICY RESEARCHERS -FUND RAISERS - CURRICULUM DESIGNERS - MARKETING/PR PROFESSIONALS-PUBLIC SPEAKERS
URGENT NEED
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has inquired about our supervised visitation services for parents and children in Broward County. These parents are unable to pay for these services and DCF hasn't the funding to enable these sessions to continue. We need to raise $18,000 for each of our locations to cover our expenses. Your financial support will reduce our service fees parents are asked to pay. Each supervised visitation site costs us $25,000 of in kind and cash expenses annually. Cash outlays approximate $18,000 annually. Can you help?
WISH LIST
Office Space - Does your agency or business have space to share? Do you have an office that you can donate to the Toby Center? We are seeking a permanent location to house our administrative, operations. We need approximately 500 squarefeet. Larger space can house age appropriate meeting rooms for children, pre-teens and young adults. It will provide a library and multimedia room for personal development and professional training.