Bridge Youth Center

Founded in 1968, Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nonprofit organization that serves children. With allocation in Sarasota, Fla., the organization s more than 900 volunteers offer mentoring services. It provides information on self-protection for children between the age group of 6 and 18. Big Brothers Big Sisters organizes Sports Buddies Program for young boys in partnership with various sports organizations, such as Tampa Bay and Rays. The organization additionally offers literacy and reading skills development programs for children who are reading below grade level. It partners with local companies, religious organizations, professional trade associations and community groups. Big Brothers Big Sisters offers various recreational activities that include sports, music and computer games.

Quality Life Center, located in Fort Myers, Florida, has dedicated over 30 years to empowering young people and underserved communities through a blend of academic enrichment, performing arts, leadership development, and cultural awareness. The organization is committed to unlocking potential and fostering personal and community transformation by instilling values, respect, and positive self-image in children. Recognized as a 2017 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Finalist, Quality Life Center has demonstrated measurable impacts, including gains in reading, math, and science among its students. With a focus on holistic approaches, lifelong skill-building, and mental health wellness, the center aims to cultivate future leaders and strengthen community ties. Generated from the website

MISSION Our mission is to improve the lives of children and their families through a coordinated response to child abuse and neglect. In 1978, Florida's Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services recognized the need for specialized child-friendly services to assist in child abuse and neglect investigations, and developed Child Protection Teams under the auspices of Children's Medical Services. The teams were developed to provide medically directed, multidisciplinary assessments to assist in the identification of maltreatment and the assessment of risk. In 1985, the National Children's Advocacy Center movement began and soon the concept of advocacy centers emerged in Florida. These centers provided child-friendly settings where investigations could occur and where treatment and prosecution plans could be designed. They also became sites for development of preventive strategies to reduce incidence of child abuse. The first Children's Advocacy Center in Florida opened in 1994, in Daytona Beach, serving Volusia and Flagler Counties. The Children's Advocacy Center was formed in 2001. Today there are 22 Children's Advocacy Centers in the state.