Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.

Children's Home Society of Florida offers hope, happiness, stability and opportunity to children and families. We make a difference one life at a time: Redirecting a troubled teen toward a future with real possibilities; transforming an addicted mother into a productive parent; providing safe harbor for an abused toddler; finding parents for an abandoned child; helping a family learn to nurture one another.

Last year alone, we delivered hope to more than 86,000 children and families.

Through dedication, innovation and financial support, we are committed to doing more for children and families -- while continuing our excellent service today, we're also working to break the generational cycle of abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of youngsters.

With a full spectrum of intervention and prevention programs, our services include foster care, adoption, child development, emergency shelters, residential group homes, independent and transitional living for teens, parent education, counseling, mentoring, treatment for developmentally disabled children, and more.

Please help us continue to reach children and families throughout Florida...your contributions truly change children's lives.

Children's Home Society of Florida, Registration #CH180, is registered with the state under the Solicitation of Contributions Act. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.

Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS) was founded in Jacksonville in November 1902, amidst a nationwide effort to find safe and loving families for children orphaned by industrial and farm accidents, epidemics such as tuberculosis, or from complications during childbirth. At the time, no public welfare or social service agencies existed to provide financial support or housing for orphaned youngsters.

In 1920, CHS began expanding to meet the needs of Florida’s growing population, opening its next office in Pensacola. The remaining divisions were established over the next 80 years

Initially providing adoption and foster care services to homeless children, CHS successfully built upon its strong reputation to become a multi-service organization aiding Florida’s children and families. Programs expanded to provide educational and support services to teens and first-time mothers, single and struggling parents, intergenerational and extended families, runaway and throwaway teens, at-risk children and youth, and developmentally, emotionally and medically challenged children.

Over the years, CHS played a key role in Florida’s legislative arena, supporting compulsory education, industrial schools, a juvenile court system, the Child Labor Law, laws protecting children from abuse and, eventually, the Florida Department of Welfare, which later became the Department of Children and Families. Most recently, CHS assumed a lead role, financially and philosophically, supporting the launch of Community Based Care as Florida underwent a dramatic shift with the privatization of child welfare.

On the national level, CHS was a founding member of the Child Welfare League of America, still the country’s premier advocacy organization for children’s issues. CHS’ commitment to excellence has earned it continuous accreditation by the Council on Accreditation since 1982. Currently, CHS is the third-largest nongovernmental not-for-profit organization among 1,400 entities in the United States and Canada accredited by the Council on Accreditation.