ORANGE PARK — Blue pinwheels lined the grassy entrance of Kids First of Florida’s (KFF) new building off Wells Road on April 1.
As helping children and families in need is a mission always at the forefront, the bright spinning blades represented a fervent purpose that the nonprofit is aiming to battle. Each are a symbol of hope and a reminder that every child deserves a safe future.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to the National Child Alliance, in 2024, an estimated 532,228 children in the U.S. were victims of abuse and neglect.
As a community agency providing foster care, adoption and independent living services, Kids First of Florida ushered in the month of awareness with a special open house on Wednesday evening.
“It’s about bringing everybody in the community together and helping them understand that we’re here in this community surveying children that have been affected by abuse and neglect, but also about the services that we’re offering and ways of innovation that we’re bringing to the community.”
Attendees were able to tour their new facility and garner a closer look at the nonprofit’s work in the local community. Since 2003, KFF, contracted with the Department of Children and Families, has acted as a leading agency providing child welfare and foster care services to residents in Clay County.
After moving from their original home on Kingsley Avenue, KFF relocated to the 19,000-square-foot building last November. KFF CEO Jackie Franco said the move allows for a shared space between the nonprofit and its partner agencies- including Camelot Community Care.
“It brings us all together to where everybody’s a little more accessible, which makes all of our community actions and meetings that we’re having together a little easier,” Franco said.
With various offices, meeting and conference rooms, Franco and Bergman said the building will not only house a range of employees, but act as a place for caseworkers to meet with foster and adoption families, as well as provide legal and guardian ad litem services in a welcoming environment.
“Parents can come here to see, meet with their children. Or come in to meet with their caseworkers. There’s dedicated space and it’s private and it’s nice.”
With help from staff and community partners, Franco said the organization was able to get everything moved and figure out how to use the space most effectively. Cubicles were also donated from the building’s previous occupants.
In addition to casework, KFF’s relatively new prevention team will be tasked with helping to break the stigma and keep additional children from entering the foster care system.
“We find new ways to serve the community as we do that, just like with our prevention team that we have here now. We’ve been able to serve so many families.”
Bergman added that KFF hopes to continue to find new partners and utilize all the resources available to help children and families in the community.
“This building can help facilitate us being a hub for [a] meeting spot or an event, or anything that could help bring all our providers together and resources together to reach out to the community. I hope that’s what this new space is able to provide.”