For Parents

Find Help Today! The Department of Juvenile Justice's Community Resource Guide will help you locate resources available to youth and families in your local communities such as youth programs, crisis centers, and substance abuse treatments center.

Health & Safety

• Is a child or loved one struggling with addiction or mental illness? Treatment 4 Addiction provides assistance with alcoholism, drug addictions, codependency, depression, and other difficult conditions. You can get assistance directly through them, or use their treatment locator to find assistance near you.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides hotline information for a variety of trauma and abuse services.
• Find out if your child is eligible for affordable health insurance through Florida Kid Care.
• Parents may learn about, and apply for assistance from, Medicaid.
• Visit the Social Security website for information about Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security assistance, how to apply for benefits.
• The Florida Child Care Food Program, funded by the US Department of Agriculture, creates partnerships with youth care programs to provide healthy meals and snacks to children in need.
• Find dedicated medical programs that assist children with special needs. You can get medical assistance, protection, family support, and other services through Children’s Medical Services.
• Teen dating violence is more common than many people realize. Find out about this type of abuse, and discover what you can do to help.
• Help protect your child, family, friends, and community by actively preventing sexual violence.
• Find information on Florida’s sex offender laws, registration requirements, offender searches, public safety, and victim information at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website.
• The National Child Traumatic Services Network tells you where to find help for trauma and abuse.
• Florida Gang Reduction is an initiative of the Florida Attorney General's Office to reduce and deter gang-related crime and violence throughout the state of Florida.
• Find information on the dangers of abusing alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs and more at the Addiction Center website.
• Drug Rehab provides parents and families an interactive guide for treating the victims of substance abuse. This website focuses on addiction, treatment, recovery and support.

Help Your Youth & Families

• The Department of Health and Human Services provides extensive information on general family services.
• Be an active part of helping your child succeed in education. The Florida Department of Education provides assistance for every level of education from Pre-K to college, as well as other information on disciplinary actions, independent education, testing, transportation, statistics, and more. Interested in more information about public schools? Check out http://www.publicschoolreview.com
• Great Schools shows you how to help your child succeed through every step of his or her education.
• Find out if you qualify for any of the Access Florida programs that provide assistance with food, cash, and medical needs.
• The Salvation Army offers social services that provide for basic human needs. They have various programs and levels of service; some offerings include food, clothing, shelter, childcare, medical assistance, counseling, job training, substance abuse treatment, and much more.
• For a list of homeless shelters that are available in Florida, visit the Homeless Shelter Directory.
• The Florida Homeless Coalition will link you resources that assist homeless families in locating housing, medical assistance, and legal aid.
• Help keep your child away from internet predators, cyber bullying, and other internet hazards by using internet best practices for parents, and encourage them to use best practices for kids.
• The Florida Department of Education has a number of resources for Bullying Prevention.

Hotlines & Other Help

• The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) wants to help. If you or your family are in need of resources in your area, call 833-GET-HOPE to connect with a Hope Navigator.  For more information about Hope Florida, visit hopeflorida.com.
• Abuse and neglect are serious issues that need to be handled with care. In the event of an emergency abuse situation, ALWAYS call 911 FIRST and call the Florida Abuse Hotline second at 1-800-962-2873. In a non-emergency situation, contact the Florida Abuse Hotline via phone, fax, or web to receive assistance.
• To report a child who has run away, or if you are a runaway who needs help, contact the Florida Runaway Hotline at 1-800-621-4000 or call the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
• Human trafficking is the exploitation of men and women, adults and children, foreign nationals and United States citizens for financial gain, and is criminalized under Florida, federal, and international law. Child victims of human trafficking are commonly exploited by involvement in the commercial sex trade or by participation in various abusive labor situations, such as forced domestic servitude, agricultural work, or traveling sales crews. Learn more about human trafficking here [insert link for DJJ HT page https://www.djj.state.fl.us/human-trafficking-intervention. To report potential trafficking of a child, call the Florida Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) and your local law enforcement agency. For resources related to potential trafficking of an adult, contact local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.
• The Central Communications Center (CCC) provides a complaint hotline for citizens and staff to report incidents related to a facility or program operated by the DJJ. Report a complaint/incident by calling 1-800-355-2280.

Legal Guidance

• Even if you can’t afford a lawyer, you can still receive assistance through Florida Legal Aid.
• The Florida Bar Association lawyer referral service can provide names and phone numbers of lawyers in your area who handle specific types of legal issues.

Youth Programs

• The Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a statewide association that can provide crisis counseling, parenting information, respite services, and referrals to other sources that serve homeless, runaway, and troubled youth ages ten and older.  For information on the Network’s services, access their informational brochure here [ Adobe PDF Document ]. 
• Children In Need of Services/ Families In Need of Services (CINS/ FINS) provides assistance and professional counseling services for youth, and their families, who are troubled or who just need additional support and mentoring.
• Join the national initiative to Stop Bullying! Find out about warning signs, how to get help, the risk factors, and other helpful information for families.
• Florida’s Children First assists youth in foster care through referrals to community resources and support systems that help meet their special needs and teach them valuable life skills.
• The Department of Juvenile Justice supports other delinquency prevention programs that provide tutoring, mentoring, life skills training, teen courts, temporary shelters, and other means of preventing youth from travelling down the wrong path.