Florida Independence Training & Education Center

What Florida Independence Training & Education Center does

FLITE Center (Florida Independence, Training & Education Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered at 5201 NW 33rd Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It operates as Broward County's designated one-stop resource center for vulnerable youth, delivering integrated services across education (College Boost/GED program, You Matter Peer Advocacy), employment (skills training, internships, certifications, job coaching), housing (Transitional Independent Living, Emergency Landing Space, rapid rehousing), health and wellness (mental health counseling, crisis intervention, telehealth via Florida Health Partners), human trafficking response (Survivor-Mentors, Regional Advocates, Victim Service Coordinators, Clinicians), resource navigation, and system of care coordination. On average, the organization serves more than 2,000 youth per year across Broward County, Palm Beach County, and the Central Florida region, with a staff of 11–50 organized into seven functional teams plus a Board of Directors.

The organization is not a technology company and does not operate a proprietary software platform; its service delivery is built on case management, clinical staffing, and direct human support. Its technology footprint is limited to a Squarespace-hosted website with referral forms, a content blog, event pages, and a Square-based donation checkout, plus 24/7 phone hotlines for Broward (954-649-8700) and the Central Region (954-649-8941). Distribution runs through community referrals, partner organization referrals, and the TIL System of Care database.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and charitable contributions — individual giving, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and proceeds from three signature fundraising programs: the annual GIVE18 campaign, the Mavericks Benefit (private aviation sector), and the Heroes Luncheon (now in its 8th year). The go-to-market motion is community-led: youth and partner organizations refer into a wellness team, and FLITE Center coordinates a network of nonprofit, government, and corporate partners rather than selling a product. No pricing, fees, contracts, or earned revenue streams apply, as all services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries.

Name

Florida Independence Training & Education Center

Legal name

FLITE Center

Website

https://flitecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FLITE Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit one-stop resource center, founded in 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, that delivers integrated education, employment, housing, health and wellness, and human-trafficking-response services to more than 2,000 youth aging out of foster care and other vulnerable youth annually across Broward, Palm Beach, and Central Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAO

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAJAEAJ

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Youth support programs
• Transitional housing
• Nonprofit social services
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: FLITE Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events. The organization operates entirely on charitable contributions from donors and partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FLITE Center is a one-stop resource center providing free, comprehensive support services for youth aging out of foster care, chronically homeless youth, and survivors of human trafficking in Broward, Palm Beach, and Central Florida. Programs span education (GED preparation, college assistance, peer advocacy), employment (skills training, internships, job coaching), housing (Transitional Independent Living apartments, Emergency Landing Space crisis shelter), health and wellness (mental health counseling, crisis intervention, telehealth), resource navigation, and system of care coordination delivered through case management and community partnerships.

Product overview

FLITE Center is a single-stop resource center offering comprehensive support services for youth aging out of foster care and other vulnerable youth. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs including: Education (College Boost Program/GED, You Matter Peer Advocacy), Employment (skills training, internships, certifications, job coaching), Housing (Transitional Independent Living/TIL, Emergency Landing Space), Health and Wellness (mental health services, crisis intervention, telehealth via Florida Health Partners partnership), System of Care Coordination, Resource Navigation, and Human Trafficking Prevention Services. Additional programs include the GIVE18 fundraising campaign, Mavericks Benefit, and Heroes Luncheon. The organization coordinates with community partners across Broward, Palm Beach County, and Central Region of Florida to provide a continuum of care supporting housing stability, education, employment, and long-term independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Program Provides GED preparation through the College Boost Program, placement testing, college and post-secondary assistance, and the You Matter Peer Advocacy Program for social-emotional learning and life skills development. Designed for youth aging out of foster care and other vulnerable young adults.
• Employment Program Provides employability skills training, internship opportunities, industry-career certification connections, job coaching, and mentorship to help vulnerable youth enter and navigate the workforce successfully.
• Housing Program Provides safe and affordable housing through Transitional Independent Living (TIL) housing, tax credit development units, private landlords, rapid rehousing programs, housing choice vouchers, and Emergency Landing Space for homeless youth. Acts as liaison between landlords and young adults.
• Health and Wellness Program Provides onsite crisis intervention, mental health counseling for individuals and groups, psycho-educational groups, wellness fairs, and telehealth services through partnership with Florida Health Partners.
• System of Care Coordination Coordinates services across community partners including life coaches, mental and physical health providers, education, employment, and housing. Manages the Transitional Independent Living (TIL) System of Care database and supports Youth System Organizers of Broward (YSO).
• Resource Navigation Assists youth with accessing food pantries, public benefits, childcare, transportation assistance, emergency needs, and referrals to life coach agencies.
• Human Trafficking Services Provides trauma-responsive help for sex trafficked children and young adults (ages 10-24) including emergency stabilization, individualized wellness plans, ongoing support through Survivor-Mentors, Regional Advocates, Victim Service Coordinators, and Clinicians.

Quantifiable outcome

• FLITE Center helps more than 2,000 youth annually transition to independence
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundation of BrowardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founding partner who helped create FLITE Center in 2009. The Community Foundation of Broward partnered with United Way of Broward and Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale to establish the organization as a comprehensive resource center for youth aging out of foster care.
• United Way of BrowardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founding partner who helped create FLITE Center in 2009. United Way of Broward partnered with Community Foundation of Broward and Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale to establish the organization as a comprehensive resource center for youth aging out of foster care.
• Junior League of Greater Fort LauderdalecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founding partner who helped create FLITE Center in 2009. The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale partnered with Community Foundation of Broward and United Way of Broward to establish the organization as a comprehensive resource center for youth aging out of foster care.
• Florida Health PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership providing expanded access to mental and physical healthcare services. Through this collaboration, FLITE Center provides primary care visits, wellness check-ups, telehealth mental health services, and preventative health screenings for young adults.
• Keys to IndependenceminorOthersLinked program partner providing support services. External program link at keystoindependencefl.com connected through FLITE Center's Programs & Services page.
• Youth System Organizers of Broward (YSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLITE Center is proud to support YSO, which is comprised of youth with lived experiences in the child welfare system and system professionals. YSO's mission is to improve Broward County's child welfare system for transitioning youth by building equitable relationships that incorporate youth voice, create policy and system change, and promote shared accountability.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 4KIDS of South Florida: 4KIDS is a South Florida-based nonprofit providing housing, workforce development, education, and case management for foster youth and at-risk youth aging out of care. It is the most direct functional and geographic peer to FLITE Center's wraparound service model.
• Florida's Children First: A statewide advocacy and legal-services organization focused on improving outcomes for foster youth, including those aging out of care. Comparable to FLITE's youth-voice and policy-change functions (e.g., its YSO program), and competes for similar state-level philanthropic dollars.
• Place of Hope: A Palm Beach County-based nonprofit providing foster care, transitional housing, and human trafficking recovery services for youth—directly comparable to FLITE's housing and human trafficking programs in the same South Florida region.
• Kids In Distress (KID): A Broward County nonprofit providing child abuse prevention, foster care, and family counseling services. Local geographic overlap with FLITE in Broward, with comparable case management and family-support programming.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Home Society of Florida: One of Florida's largest child welfare nonprofits, offering adoption, foster care, family preservation, and youth transition services statewide. It is a broad incumbent with significant government contracts—a key competitor for the same state and county funding that FLITE pursues.
• Camelot Community Care: A multi-state nonprofit providing foster care, therapeutic services, and independent living programs for at-risk youth. Comparable to FLITE in serving the aging-out population, but operates at a much larger scale with multiple state contracts.
• ChildNet: The contracted child welfare services provider for Broward and Palm Beach counties, managing dependency cases and foster care placements. A key institutional counterparty that both refers youth to FLITE and competes for limited county child welfare funding.

Regional players

• Communities Connected for Kids: A community-based care lead agency serving the Central Florida region with foster care and child welfare services. Comparable mission and target population to FLITE's Central Florida expansion, and a potential partner or competitor in that market.
• Thelma Braxton Saunders / Broward Partnership: A Broward-based nonprofit addressing homelessness including among youth and families. Adjacent to FLITE in serving chronically homeless youth, with overlap on housing navigation and case management services in the same county.

Others

• Children's Services Council of Broward County: A special-purpose taxing district that funds youth and family services in Broward County. As a likely funder and grant-making body for FLITE, it shapes the funding environment in which FLITE operates and is a critical ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FLITECenterBroward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Florida Independence Training & Education Center