Safe Children Coalition earns top honors at Florida Network Annual Meeting

Local child welfare agency Safe Children Coalition was honored to be named by the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, Inc. (the Florida Network) and the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) as the Florida Network Agency of the Year during the recent Florida Network Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes SCC’s Youth Prevention Services and Youth Shelter programs for the work they do to proactively assist children and families at risk of entering the child welfare system.

Additionally, SCC's Residential Programs Director Charles Harris – who has worked with SCC for 16 years – was named Program Manager of the Year. Harris oversees SCC’s Youth Shelter program; the organization is currently in the midst of a major capital campaign – and construction is well underway – to build a new Youth Shelter in mid-Sarasota to maximize its ability to provide safe shelter for homeless and otherwise vulnerable youths in Florida’s Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties).

The Florida Network is a nonprofit statewide association representing 27 member agencies that serve homeless, runaway, and troubled youth ages 6 and older and their families. For nearly 50 years, the Florida Network has provided prevention and early intervention services as a “Children and Families in Need of Services” agency, as defined by Florida Statute, in order to prevent juvenile delinquency and encourage good choices and healthy family relationships.

The Annual Meeting was held September 22-24 on Amelia Island. The event featured guest speakers including Florida House Representative Berny Jacques, DJJ Secretary Matt Walsh, and Congressman Aaron Bean as well as board meetings, networking, and celebrations highlighting achievements of the past year.

“We could not be more pleased or honored about this significant recognition – our prevention and diversion team and youth shelter are dedicated to the protection of and service to the vulnerable children and families of our region,” said SCC President and CEO Brena Slater. “This is a testament to our incredible staff as well as our volunteer board of directors, all of whom care deeply about and work hard to ensure our programs and services are aligned with the best practices in the field.”

The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention/diversion, quality management, and support services. In 2025, SCC served more 10,000 children and families, provided nearly 3,000 emergency safe shelter bed nights for homeless youth in its youth shelter, advocated for nearly 800 homeless and unaccompanied youth through the Schoolhouse Link program, facilitated the care of more than 1,600 youths in foster care homes and out of care home placements, and helped 171 children to find their forever homes through adoption services.

For more information, visit sccfl.org.

About Safe Children Coalition, Inc.
Safe Children Coalition, Inc. (SCC) serves as the lead agency for community-based care for Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. SCC is a collaboration between local community agencies who provide services to children and families in need. SCC is committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building community. The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management, and support services. Visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.