Pensacola, Fla. (Jan 15, 2024) – More children across Northwest Florida will find adoptive homes – and more youth aging out of foster care will be connected to the support they need – thanks to FamiliesFirst Network’s $20,000 grant from Selfless Love Foundation.

Selfless Love Foundation has been a vital partner of FamiliesFirst Network since 2020, with a focus on providing prospective and post-adoptive families with tailored support to grow the number of adoptive families – particularly for “difficult to place” children. These funds will be used to help children find their forever homes and provide vital resources for youth transitioning out of the foster care system. FamiliesFirst Network serves children from Escambia to Walton County, with offices located in Pensacola, Milton, Shalimar, Crestview and DeFuniak Springs.

In fiscal year 2024, FamiliesFirst Network provided child welfare, foster care and adoption services for 3,574 children – including 350 adoptions finalized, with 84 more achieving permanent guardianship. FamiliesFirst Network was recognized in 2024 with a national Adoption Excellence Award from Children’s Bureau. This tremendous honor reflects the team’s record number of adoptions, coupled with innovative ways to streamline the experience and connect more children with loving, permanent homes.

FamiliesFirst Network’s Young Adult Services program served 105 young adults in 2024, helping foster care youth ages 18 to 21 return to a foster home or a supervised, independent living environment. The program gives young adults living options, life skills development and guidance to help them become self-sufficient adults.

Organizations like Selfless Love Foundation provide much-needed support to these young people aging out of foster care – plus kids of all ages within the child welfare system.

“Words cannot express how grateful we are for the support we receive from Selfless Love Foundation,” Lynne Whittington, director of quality and program development for FamiliesFirst Network. “As they near aging out of foster care, the youth we serve worry about the uncertainty of their futures. With the help of organizations like Selfless Love Foundation, our specialized team is helping more youth find their forever families and providing essential resources and independent living support to young adults in our care.”

Selfless Love Foundation was founded in 2015 by Ashley and Ed Brown to connect children in foster care with forever families and help youth aging out of foster care gain the skills to thrive in adulthood. As an adopted child, Ashley is personally linked to the mission. Her goal is to give children in foster care the same kind of second chance she was fortunate to receive.

To learn more about adoption and foster care or to make a donation supporting Northwest Florida kids in the child welfare system, visit FamiliesFirstNetwork.org.