In Pasco County, YFA provides child welfare case management and adoption services under a contract with Eckerd Community Alternatives, Inc. the lead agency for Community Based Care services in Pasco and Pinellas Counties. YFA accepts case referrals where the primary child is 0 to 5 years of age.

In Hillsborough County, YFA is a network provider of child welfare case management services and accepts case referrals for children ages 0 through 17. Services are provided under a contract with Hillsborough Kids, Inc.

In Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, YFA provides child welfare case management and adoption services to children ages 0 to 5 and their families under a contract with the Sarasota Family YMCA.

In Osceola County, YFA provides a continuum of Community Based Care services that includes 24 hour placement, child welfare case management and adoption services to children ages 0 through 17 and their families, foster and adoptive home recruitment, training, and foster home licensing.

• Strengthen the family or relative caregiver so that children are maintained in a safe and stable environment;
• Reunify children that have been removed from their family;
• Maintain a safe and stable placement for children who are in out- of- home care.

Adoption Services

Youth and Family Alternatives is responsible for the coordination and finalization of adoption services for children ages 0 through 5 in Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota and Desoto Counties and children ages 0 through 17 in Osceola County. YFA recruits adoptive parents, facilitates child and parent matches, completes adoption home studies and coordinates all other pre and post adoption legal requirements.

Family Intervention Team

The Family Intervention Team (F.I.T.) is a child abuse prevention and diversion program operated by Youth and Family Alternatives, Inc. (YFA) and funded by the Sarasota Family YMCA and Heartland for Children.

YFA receives referrals from Child Protective Investigators in Pasco and Polk County. The purpose of the program is to provide early intervention services and resources to families at risk of child abuse and neglect. The primary goal of the program is to prevent the removal of children from the home and to prevent the family from entering the child welfare system. Services are provided to children and families who are at risk for removal and placement in out-of-home care but whose cases do not meet criteria for immediate removal to ensure the safety and well being of the children. In-home family counseling and case management services are provided to families in order to strengthen family functioning and link children and families to needed community resources.

Staff are located at the following sites: