June is National Safety Month, and keeping youth and families safe is at the heart of everything The Network does. This month and every month, we're committed to building safer communities across Florida. 🦺 #NationalSafetyMonth
Florida Network's Director of Outreach Paula Moreno joined fellow member organizations at the inaugural Florida Fathers and Faith Symposium this week in Orlando, FL, hosted by the @fladjj .
The symposium centered on a powerful premise: fathers and faith communities are agents of prevention, early intervention and long-term support for youth and families. By building deeper collaboration between state agencies, community organizations and local faith institutions, the goal is a family-centered approach that supports the youth we serve and strengthens the entire system surrounding them. Thank you to the DJJ team for bringing so many key stakeholders from across the state together for this important conversation. #TheNetworkWorks
Another session in the books, and The Network has reason to celebrate. Thanks to the leadership of Representative @BernyJacques , the 2026-2027 state budget includes funding for the SNAP Dually Served program. SNAP is an evidence-based intervention program that improves child behavior. Dually served supports youth who are at risk of becoming further involved in the juvenile justice system.
Thank you to each of the lawmakers who continue to champion Florida’s youth and families, and especially to Representative Jacques for his leadership this session. #TheNetworkWorks
Save the date: September 2026. 📅
The Florida Network of Youth and Family Services is turning 50, and we want to celebrate with the people who made it possible.
Stay tuned! 👀
Great things are happening at @LutheranServFla Hope House Shelter in Crestview.
During a recent visit, our Director of Nursing Jen Taylor got a firsthand look at the work of their team, who has built a structured system of reminders and quick-reference guides to make medication assistance as safe and seamless as possible for staff and residents. These easy to use and accessible tools empower team members and youth.
And those handprints on the wall? Each one represents a life Hope House has touched. These hands are a touching reminder of the way that #TheNetworkWorks.
What if you could teach a child to stop, think and make a better choice before a bad choice becomes a bad outcome?
That's exactly what Stop Now and Plan, or SNAP®, does. 🛑 Designed specifically for school settings, this 13-week, in-class program serves students ages 6-11, building skills to manage anger, handle peer pressure and deal with bullying. It meets kids where they are: in the classroom and out in the community. #TheNetworkWorks
Last month, FL DJJ Senior Director Dasia Powell, Deputy Assistant Secretary Brent Musgrove and other members of the DJJ team made a visit to our member organization LSF-Miami Bridge North.
It was an opportunity to share program highlights, talk through challenges and explore ways to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for youth.
We’re thankful for the partnership of the entire team at @fladjj and for the outstanding work of the @LutheranServFla Miami Bridge team. #TheNetworkWorks
The Florida Network SNAP Team came together in Tampa to host a Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Under 12 Training at the Youth Advocate Program Conference Room.
14 participants from 10 membership organizations were trained and equipped to facilitate any of the SNAP Under 12 or SNAP in Schools and Communities groups.
The participants learned how to facilitate the 13-week curriculum to the young men, women and caregivers that enroll in the program.
We are so excited to continue to advance our vision to have all youth in Florida reach their fullest potential by learning how to use their SNAP skills and making their problems smaller not bigger.
The Florida Network’s Spring Executive Advisory Roundtable (EAR) is underway in Lake Nona! EAR members from across the state have gathered together for a meaningful conversation on the challenges in front of us and the opportunities shaping our collective work to support Florida’s youth and families. #TheNetworkWorks
May is National Foster Care Month.
Tens of thousands of Florida children need safe, stable, loving homes. 🏠 This vision for a future where every child has a safe place to call home isn’t possible without the willing families who open up their homes and caseworkers and advocates who show up for children in need.
Thank you for everything you do to support Florida’s foster children.
Our Board of Directors is thrilled to be in Jacksonville this week for our board meeting and tour of the new Anchor Point facility. A new, first-of-its-kind residential facility for at-risk youth in Jacksonville funded by the state of Florida in 2025, the @YouthCrisisCtr CINS physically secure program (Anchor Point) will provide trauma‑informed,
evidence‑based residential services to youth ages 10–17 who are experiencing significant
concerns such as habitual truancy, habitual running away and ungovernability.
We are so proud of this milestone and grateful to our partners at Anchor Point who make this possible. #TheNetworkWorks
22,346 documented screenings. 14,333 youth admissions. 75,231 total shelter bed days.
Behind these impact numbers are the stories of countless Florida youth whose lives were forever changed by the intervention of a FNFYS member agency.
Read the full impact report >> https://t.co/8ivsS29aJ7
This month, we are proud to spotlight FNYFS team member Brandi R. Hudson. As our Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Program Coordinator, she can testify firsthand to the critical role SNAP plays in supporting Florida families.
Her commitment to the families and youth we serve speaks for itself. Thanks for all you do, Brandi!
Since launching in May 2024, the Shareet Cares Project has delivered real results for young people facing homelessness across South Florida.
In partnership with the Florida Housing Coalition and Lutheran Services Florida, we have been able to connect more than 300 clients with flexible cash assistance for payments like rent, utilities and transportation.
Hundreds more were connected to personalized case management, financial literacy training and community resources in eight South Florida counties.
Looking to use your data skills to support meaningful work across Florida? The Florida Network of Youth and Family Services is hiring a Research Analyst to join our statewide team.
This role includes working with systems such as JJIS and NetMIS, producing reports, and providing technical assistance to partners and member agencies.
To apply, send your cover letter, resume, salary requirements and three professional references to [email protected].
In 2025, the Florida Network hit some significant training milestones worth celebrating:
☑️ 44 new Certified Peer Reviewers added to our team
☑️ 16 new trainers certified in the University of Oklahoma's Managing Aggressive Behavior model
☑️ Motivational Interviewing trainers re-certified, with a new trainer added for expanded statewide reach
☑️ A new Qualified Motivational Interviewing Trainer added to strengthen coverage in the Northeast region
☑️ 166 new SNAP facilitators trained across 11 hosted trainings
☑️ Nearly 50 attendees at the annual SNAP Lead event in Orlando
See all of our 2025 highlights in the full annual report >> https://t.co/8ivsS29aJ7
Congratulations to FNYFS's own Stacy Gromatski, honored as a recipient of the News Service of Florida 50 Over 50 Award! 🏆
We are so proud to celebrate Stacy’s dedication, her leadership and the mark she has made on the lives of Florida’s youth and families. Thank you to the team at the News Service of Florida for this meaningful recognition. https://t.co/lUtKvRdbce
April is Second Chance Month — a time to recognize the power of rehabilitation and the real difference successful reentry makes for individuals, families and communities. At FNYFS, we believe in the potential of every person to rebuild and move forward.
That's a wrap on our Spring Quality Improvement Community! 🎉
From shelter tours to policy workshops, training sessions and everything in between, our teams are heading home energized and ready to put these conversations into action.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Daytona. #TheNetworkWorks