Fourteen individuals and organizations were recognized on May 31 for outstanding contributions in the service of Florida’s children who are at risk of falling into the delinquency and child welfare systems. The services provided by the member agencies and shelters of the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services play a critical role in the…
May 6th is National Nurses Day! In celebration of National Nurses Day, we would like to spotlight Desiree Gimse from the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter! Desiree has been with the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter since December 2015 and she has been an invaluable presence in the shelter. Her colleagues describe her as “the epitome of…
The Florida Network Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony is one of my favorite events of the year. I love seeing so many of our Network family members in one room celebrating the accomplishments of the last year while also discussing the policy and changes that will impact youth in the future. This year, I was fortunate…
In celebration of Valentine’s Day and in honor of our upcoming Florida Network Hill Day, I wanted to discuss something I love: advocacy and education. Each year our member agency executive directors visit the state Capitol and schedule meetings with their local legislators to highlight the services they are providing to their communities and to…
After the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida communities were reeling with responses from friends and families of victims, educators, 2nd amendment enthusiasts, social service providers and the Legislature. The plethora of emotion that sprang from the nation was electric. Just as students prepared to take the Capital and meet with senators and representatives , the Florida Network member agencies…
Every day the staff at our 29 member agencies go into work determined to make a difference in the lives of the youth and families they serve. The days are sometimes long and challenging but they are also immensely rewarding. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, our amazing staff at Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) were…
The following is a story we received from a previous shelter resident. There is an unfortunate stigma surrounding youth in shelters – one that assumes at-risk youth are all ungovernable and that they are at fault for whatever brought them to the shelter. The public seems to believe that shelters are just a stepping stone on…
The annual Florida Children’s Week – presented by United Way of Florida and Capital Events – was held January 21 – 26, at the state Capitol building in Tallahassee. The events throughout the week provided thousands of parents, children, policy makers, professionals and community leaders the opportunity to share knowledge and information about children’s issues…
As we embrace the holiday’s and prepare for 2018, the Network reflected on all of our accomplishments over the past year and asked Stacy to list the things she is most proud of in 2017. As you can see, she couldn’t just name a few… The increase in diversity among our staff, we have two…
Season’s greetings and happy holidays Networkers!! It’s Lauren here to spread a little holiday cheer! A few of you may know that the Stop Now and Plan program has had some wonderful additions the last few months. We welcomed new #NetworkSnappers in six circuits and Brandi R. Hudson was hired as the SNAP Program Specialist, moving…