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Our Mission

Building bridges to success for children. 

Our Vision

A world where children realize their full potential.

We believe in the potential of every child and family. We believe children and families are stronger than the odds stacked against them – and, together, we can create opportunities that bring brighter futures.

Life can be hard, and no child, no family should face the tough times alone.

CHS delivers the right services at the right time to help children and families through the most difficult times of their lives. We work to help keep more kids safe at home with their families, giving parents confidence and opportunities to build upon their strengths, empowering them to raise their children in healthy, nurturing homes.

Our Impact


Overarching Aspiration

Our goal at Children’s Home Society of Florida is to end the need for foster care as we know it by working with children and families before crises occur.

Did you know nearly 75% of children enter the foster care system because of neglect, which often stems from fixable family issues like poverty, addiction and domestic violence?

When we reach families before these challenges turn into crises, more families can remain safe, strong and together … and children in our communities will have more chances to thrive.

While we’re often best known for our work in child welfare services – such as foster care and adoption – we also serve our communities through early childhood services, counseling and other mental health services, community partnership schools, and mentoring, outreach and job training programs.

At CHS, everything we do is designed to empower children, families and individuals to find – and pursue – opportunities for success and happiness.

Our Story

CHS is a nationally recognized leader in delivering innovative, effective services and solutions to keep more families safe, strong and together.

Our roots date back to the early 20th century, with ties to the infamous Orphan Trains out of New York.  Nearly 400 children stepped off the trains at the last stop in Jacksonville … they had no family and no one to turn to.

Reverend DW Comstock rallied community leaders to help care for these children, to provide education, safety and guidance. But his dream was much greater.

On November 17, 1902, he opened the doors to CHS to provide a “family” for children who had nowhere else to go.

A lot has happened over the past 100-plus years. Since our founding, CHS has grown and evolved to provide the right services and solutions to address the needs of children and families throughout the changing times … to help more children realize their full potential.

With a national reputation, CHS leads the way in children’s services, where no other organization has the size scope or breadth of services to meet children’s and families’ needs.

  • Today, we’re proud to serve 80K+ children and family members each year.
  • We’ve grown from 2 team members in 1902 to more than 1,000 today
  • We’ve expanded from 1 primary location in Northeast Florida to now provide support and care to nearly every area of Florida.

Want to take a different look at what we do? Download our CHS Coloring Book – share it with others or color it yourself (it’s a great way to help manage stress and anxiety!)

CHS Coloring Book
Download our coloring book

Why CHS

Our Communities Face Complex Challenges

Poverty

Lengthy stays in foster care

Untreated mental health issues

Every day, CHS works to change these statistics With a cradle to career approach, CHS meets kids and families where they are, delivering the right services at the right time so more families are safe, strong and together, and more kids can realize their full potential.

With CHS:

  • More children are safe at home with their families.
    • Nearly 100% of families that complete our voluntary home-visiting early childhood programs remain free from abuse or neglect – and never enter the foster care system.
  • More students in marginalized communities graduate high school.
  • More children in foster care find safety and stability.
    • CHS brings stability to hundreds of children each year, with nearly 60% safely reunifying with their families, and 40% finding forever through adoption or by joining the family of a relative.
  • More children and families have access to trauma-informed, caring mental health services during their greatest times of need.
    • CHS provides immediate access to counseling and support for individuals in their greatest time of need.
  • More youth are finding stability and success.
    • 81% of youth participating in our job training program secure stable employment, earn their GED or diploma, or begin post-secondary education.

Together, we’re building strong, safe and stable homes for children. We’re paving paths for youth to reach for their dreams. And we’re helping children throughout Florida realize their full potential.

Join Us.

Our Financials

We know that the decision to support CHS with a gift is not one that is made lightly. We understand that resources from our donors are intended to support the children and families we serve. Because of this, CHS works to implement programs in the most efficient and effective manner possible and where they can have maximum impact.

Children’s Home Society of Florida is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Learn More