Children’s Network of Hillsborough (CNHC), Hillsborough County’s lead child welfare agency, is celebrating five years of strengthening families, protecting children and creating brighter futures through a community-centered approach to child welfare.
Since its inception, CNHC has served more than 10,000 children and strengthened the local child welfare system through prevention, family preservation, reunification and permanency. Guided by more than 450 years of combined leadership experience, the organization works alongside the Florida Department of Children and Families and a network of community providers to improve outcomes for children and families across Hillsborough County.
“Over the past five years, we’ve seen what is possible when our team, foster and adoptive families, community partners and local leaders come together around a shared mission,” said Terri Balliet, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Network of Hillsborough. “These milestones represent thousands of children and families whose lives have been changed through collaboration, compassion and a commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.”
CNHC has reunited more than 1,299 families, earning the No. 1 ranking among Florida’s Community-Based Care agencies for family reunifications. The organization has also finalized more than 1,626 adoptions since July 2022, including 374 children who found their forever homes during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. CNHC ranks No. 1 in the state for children exiting care and has hosted Florida’s largest National Adoption Day celebration at Busch Gardens.
Through its Intensive Family Services Team, CNHC has provided services to more than 6,700 children, contributing to a 50% increase in families preserved. More than 540 licensed foster homes are part of CNHC’s system of care, 54% of youth are placed with relatives and the organization has achieved a 30% reduction in youth placed in group care.
CNHC also leads statewide efforts to combat human trafficking. Through partnerships with the United States Marshals Service, federal, state and local law enforcement and community providers, the organization has helped recover more than 117 vulnerable youth through Operation Home for the Holidays and Operation Dragon Eye. Operation Home for the Holidays, the largest youth recovery operation conducted in the United States to date, earned prestigious recognition from the White House for CNHC’s partnership efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in supporting the operation.
Beyond child welfare services, CNHC has supported more than 3,000 households through disaster recovery efforts, water safety initiatives, food pantries, holiday gift drives, Pack & Play distributions, car seat programs and other community outreach initiatives.
As Children’s Network of Hillsborough enters its sixth year, the organization remains committed to strengthening families, protecting children and ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.