FamiliesFirst Network

What FamiliesFirst Network does

FamiliesFirst Network is a Pensacola, Florida-based nonprofit (501c3) child welfare organization that delivers child protective services, individualized case management, foster care, adoption services, and young adult transition programs across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in Northwest Florida. The organization operates as an affiliate of LifeView Group, a nonprofit parent company formed in 2022 that also encompasses Lakeview Center (behavioral health) and Global Connections to Employment. FamiliesFirst Network holds the exclusive contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families to serve as the community-based care lead agency for its four-county region, and is accredited at the highest level by CARF International across five service lines.

Service delivery is structured around five owned service centers plus in-home case management, supported by 24/7 intake availability and integrated behavioral health services through sister affiliate Lakeview Center. Core offerings include traditional and therapeutic foster care (including the CHIPS Medicaid-funded program), adoption case management and recruitment, prevention services that work to keep families safely together, and specialized Young Adult Services (Extended Foster Care, Postsecondary Education Services and Support, and an Aftercare Program) for youth aging out of care. The organization also runs an annual Child Welfare Conference (now in its 20th year), the Operation Santa holiday gift drive, and community events supporting foster family recruitment and donor engagement.

The revenue model is anchored on multi-year government contracts with the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Health Care Administration, supplemented by charitable donations, corporate sponsorships (T-Mobile, All in Credit Union, Kia AutoSport Pensacola, Nemours Children's Specialty Care, and others), and individual philanthropy through programs such as Operation Santa. FamiliesFirst Network charges no fees to the families and children it serves; in fiscal year 2024, the organization reported 350 finalized adoptions, and in FY25 reported 193 family reunifications, 976 safely closed cases, and over 750 children in preventive in-home services. As a private nonprofit with approximately 2,500 LifeView Group team members across affiliates, there is no venture capital or private equity ownership, and funding flows are limited to operating revenues, donations, and government contract payments.

Name

FamiliesFirst Network

Legal name

FamiliesFirst Network

Website

https://familiesfirstnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

FamiliesFirst Network is a nonprofit child welfare organization that delivers child protective services, case management, foster care, adoption, and young adult transition programs to children and families across four Northwest Florida counties under contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Child protective services
• Foster care services
• Adoption services
• Case management
• Child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: LifeView Group (parent company of FamiliesFirst Network) receives funding from the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to provide child protective services
2. Donations and Philanthropy: As a non-profit 501c3 organization, FamiliesFirst Network relies on community donations to support children and families, fund special programs like Operation Santa, and provide resources beyond what government contracts cover

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FamiliesFirst Network is a 501c3 nonprofit child welfare organization that provides child protective services, individualized case management, foster care placement and support, adoption services, and young adult transition services across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in Northwest Florida. Services are delivered through five service centers and in-home visits under contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Product overview

FamiliesFirst Network is a child welfare services organization providing a comprehensive suite of interconnected programs across Northwest Florida. The core offerings include Child Protective Services with individualized case management, Foster Care Services (spanning traditional foster care, kinship care, therapeutic foster care through the CHIPS program, and residential/group care), and Adoption Services. The organization operates specialized programs for young adults through its Young Adult Services division, which includes Extended Foster Care (EFC), Postsecondary Education Services and Support (PESS), and an Aftercare Program. Additional support services include a Court System Guide to help families navigate judicial proceedings and Prevention Services to keep families safely together. Services are delivered across five counties (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton) through multiple service center locations, with accreditation from CARF International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Protective Services and Case Management Core child welfare service that provides individualized case management to address the unique needs of each family and protect children from abuse and neglect in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. Includes 24/7 availability.
• Foster Care Services Comprehensive foster care services including traditional foster care, relative/kinship care, shared family care, therapeutic and medical foster care (CHIPS program), residential/group home care, shelter care, and adoptive/at-risk foster homes.
• Adoption Services Adoption services including adoptive parent recruitment, adoption case management, and support for finalizing adoptions for children in foster care.
• Young Adult Services Services for young adults aging out of foster care including Extended Foster Care (EFC), Postsecondary Education Services and Support (PESS), and Aftercare Services providing housing options, life skills development, education support, and guidance for independent living.
• Prevention Services In-home prevention services working with families whose children remain in the biological home, providing case plans and resources to address root challenges and keep families safely together.
• Court System Guide Educational resource explaining court proceedings including shelter hearings, arraignment hearings, adjudicatory hearings, disposition hearings, judicial review hearings, and permanency hearings for families navigating the dependency court system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 193 children reunited with families in FY25
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LifeView GroupcoreOthersLifeView Group is the parent company of FamiliesFirst Network, forming a nonprofit family of companies that includes Lakeview Center, FamiliesFirst Network, and Global Connections to Employment. LifeView Group CEO Gary Bembry serves as board chair. LifeView Group provides administrative support, funding, and strategic oversight.
• Lakeview CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLakeview Center, an affiliate of LifeView Group, provides behavioral health services including mental health treatment and substance misuse services for parents and families served by FamiliesFirst Network. The organizations collaborate seamlessly to develop innovative solutions for families along the Gulf Coast. Lakeview Center also provides therapeutic foster care through the CHIPS program.
• Nemours Children's Specialty CareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNemours Children's Specialty Care transformed the FamiliesFirst Network Escambia County visitation space, creating a welcoming environment for family visits. They also donated clothing items and organized an onsite resource center through their Nemours Cares Week initiative.
• T-MobileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerT-Mobile serves as a sponsor of FamiliesFirst Network's Annual Child Welfare Conference. T-Mobile Government Account Executive Bobby Colony and his family have also served as foster parents through FamiliesFirst Network.
• Martial Arts America and Flippin' Out GymnasticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partners who have supported Operation Santa for nearly a decade, helping bring Christmas joy to hundreds of children across Northwest Florida through their students, families, and staff shopping for kids in foster care.
• All in Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAll in Credit Union has donated school supplies to support children in foster care and families served by FamiliesFirst Network, helping ensure children are prepared for school.
• Kia AutoSport PensacolaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured FamiliesFirst Network during Kia Cares in the Community initiative, collecting donations for children and families and car seats for case managers and foster parents.
• Hanto + Clarke General ContractorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting FamiliesFirst Network through charitable donations to benefit children and families.
• Operation Santa Community PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 110 donors including 25 businesses and 91 individuals supported Operation Santa. Partners include: Destiny Worship, Crosspoint Church, American Legion Post 75, Crestview Aerospace, Livin' Right Real Estate, City of Fort Walton Beach Police Department, WEAR Ch. 3 Communities Caring at Christmas, Olive Baptist Church, Innisfree Hotels, Beck Partners, Gulf Breeze Rotary Club, and many others.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Embrace Families: Embrace Families is a Florida CBC lead agency for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, providing child protective services, foster care, and case management. Directly comparable as a same-state, same-model peer serving a different geographic region.
• Kids Central, Inc. Kids Central is a Florida CBC lead agency serving Circuit 5 (Marion, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Citrus counties), offering child protective services, foster care, and adoption—directly mirroring FamiliesFirst Network's CBC contracting and service model.
• Heartland for Children: Heartland for Children is the CBC lead agency for Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties in Florida, delivering case management, foster care, and adoption services through the same Florida DCF contracting framework FamiliesFirst Network uses.
• Brevard Family Partnership: Brevard Family Partnership is the CBC lead agency for Brevard County, Florida, providing child welfare, foster care, and family support services under contract with Florida DCF—operating the same lead-agency structure as FamiliesFirst Network.
• ChildNet Inc. ChildNet is a Community-Based Care lead agency providing child welfare, foster care, and adoption services in Broward and Palm Beach counties under contract with Florida DCF—the same CBC lead-agency model FamiliesFirst Network operates in Northwest Florida.
• Hillsborough Kids Incorporated: Hillsborough Kids Inc. is a Florida CBC lead agency for Hillsborough County providing child protective investigations, foster care, and adoption—same contracting model and service portfolio as FamiliesFirst Network.

Broad incumbents

• Eckerd Connects: Eckerd Connects is a large national nonprofit providing child welfare, foster care, and youth services across multiple states, including Florida. It is comparable as a broader incumbent operating CBC-style contracts but at significantly larger scale than FamiliesFirst Network.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Devereux is a large national nonprofit operating residential, therapeutic foster care, and behavioral health services for children and families. It is comparable as a broader incumbent in therapeutic and behavioral child welfare services, though it serves a wider portfolio of populations.
• Lutheran Services Florida: Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide nonprofit delivering child welfare, behavioral health, and refugee services across Florida. Comparable as a larger incumbent with overlapping child welfare programs and a similar statewide nonprofit footprint.
• Children's Home Society of Florida: Children's Home Society of Florida is a statewide nonprofit serving children and families through adoption, foster care, and prevention programs. It is comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping child welfare services across multiple Florida regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FamiliesFirstNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/familiesfirst-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/familiesfirst_network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 FamiliesFirst Network