1-1-1 Project FLORIDA

The 1-1-1 Project was started in Oklahoma in 2010 as a result of a conversation between a local church and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The mission spread to Georgia and Florida in 2012. 1-1-1 Project: Florida will be launching locally on July 24, 2016, for the Manatee-Sarasota-DeSoto Tri-County area, working through The Safe Children Coalition. 

The Safe Children Coalition serves Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties and holds the contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide welfare oversight and services in the tri-county area. The lead agency of the Safe Children Coalition is the Sarasota YMCA. The responsibility to care for our community's children in foster care rests with the Safe Children Coalition. They utilize a variety of providers, including the Florida Baptist Children's Homes, in order to meet growing needs.

The Statistics for our Tri-County area as of 2015:
  • The Coalition serves in excess of 1,200 children
  • 657 children have been removed from their parent/caregiver(s) and are living away from their home
  • 50 children are waiting to be adopted
  • There is a need for 100 new, quality foster families
  • In 2016, 17 children will "age out" of foster care without an adoptive family

Why does this all matter?
Children who age out of the foster system without being adopted by a family are most likely to:
  • Experience homeless (1 in 5)
  • Experience repeated incarceration (1 in 4)
  • Experience pregnancy before their 21st birthday (60% of young women)
All of these issues are likely to start the cycle all over again without the intervention of a loving family for these at-risk children.

And the King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."  Matthew 25:40 NASB

Are you, or someone you know, interested in learning more about serving through a family ministry opportunity? If you are interested in caring "for the least of these," check out the links and agencies below.


Facts, Statistics and Info

Did you know that we have over 19,000 orphans in the state of Florida? Thousands of boys and girls in state custody through no fault of their own.

1-1-1 Project: Florida believes that each one of these precious children deserve to take their fist steps, learn to ride a bike, and celebrate their brithdays along with other childhood landmarks, with a loving family.

1-1-1 Project: Florida is working to make this a reality. Born out of the hope-filled belief that if every church will commit at least one family for one purpose, we will leave no child without a family. The project works in and through the local church to recruit foster and adoptive families, and bring awareness to this urgent need of finding quality, Godly foster and adoptive homes.