Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc.

Adopt-A-Family aims to address issues pertaining to family homelessness through housing, self-sufficiency, and educational programs. As the lead agency for families who are literally homeless in Palm Beach County, we provide permanent supportive housing in addition to referral and linkage services to best serve these families in crisis.

In addition to serving homeless families, we operate self-sufficiency programs that holistically address barriers faced by low-income, working families. This includes a high-impact homeless prevention program, a homeownership incubator program, a 14 unit affordable housing program that focuses on children's educational outcomes related to housing stability, and an affordable housing program with 24 units in the community.

Collectively, our self-sufficiency programs serve more than 300 low-income families in Palm Beach County in a given year.

The first step in addressing familial needs is to ensure that their basic needs are met. Adopt-A-Family provides housing solutions to families so they are able to begin focusing on issues that are negatively impacting their ability to remain self-sufficient. Our experience has shown the importance of addressing basic needs prior to working on educational and or occupational goals. As a result, all of the agency's programs place initial emphasis on ensuring that families are stably housed. Once housing is secured, case management and supportive services are provided focusing on job readiness, educational advancement, financial literacy, as well as ensuring that mental health issues are addressed.

Adopt-A-Family provides a continuum of housing services to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Some of the agency's housing units are restricted to families who are literally homeless (sleeping in a car, park, or emergency shelter), while other units target low-income working households interested in becoming homeowners. The agency also operates an extensive homeless prevention program which provides financial assistance to families at risk of becoming homeless. This program also includes meaningful supportive services in an effort to address all the barriers potentially impacting a familial stability.

In addition to the agency's activities surrounding housing, Adopt-A-Family operates a licensed afterschool and out-of-school program for children attending elementary school. The program is located within walking distance of many of the agency's housing programs and offers priority placement to homeless and formerly homeless children. This program, Project Grow, is one of the highest performing programs in Palm Beach County, and has been developed to meet the unique needs of low-income and formerly homeless children. Children receive socio-emotional services as well as intensive academic assistance. In 2014, Project Grow implemented an innovative STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) initiative that exposes disadvantaged children to career fields of the future.

Adopt-A-Family has 37 years of experience providing services to vulnerable families in Palm Beach County. During this time, the agency has garnered local and national recognition for its innovative programming, outcomes, and provision of supportive services. In its inaugural year, 1983, the agency served 15 families. Last year, the agency was able to assist 1,516 families in need of assistance.

Our capabilities are linked proportionally to the agency's proven ability to scale and deliver impressive programmatic outcomes, year after year. Prominent examples relate directly to the increased capacity of our Housing Stabilization Program, which has nearly tripled its capacity over the past three years. The program continues to garner local, state, and national funding support in its efforts to prevent homelessness for income-constrained families throughout Palm Beach County.

In 1992, the agency was awarded the first HUD Supportive Housing Demonstration grant in Palm Beach County. Since that time, the agency has significantly increased its affordable housing portfolio.

Currently, Adopt-A-Family is the largest provider of housing for homeless families in Palm Beach County and owns or operates 120 units of housing targeted for homeless and low-income families.

Adopt-A-Family has been recognized for its efforts in developing housing, providing supportive services, and for its fiscal responsibility. The agency was awarded the prestigious Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's Award in 2008.

In 2009, Adopt-A-Family received statewide praise for its nine-unit affordable housing program, Wiley Reynolds Apartments. The Florida Redevelopment Association awarded the project with its exclusive “Best Affordable Housing Development" designation.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the agency with two “Promising Practices" for the provision of supportive services to homeless families accessing housing services.

In 2020, Adopt-A-Family was awarded its 14th consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator. Less than 1% of the agencies measured by Charity Navigator accomplish this goal.

In our 37 years, we have;

• Provided much needed services to more than 53,000 families who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

• Developed and maintained one of the most successful and competitive after-school programs in Palm Beach County.

• Built a well-respected reputation for being an agency that gets things done and is willing to partner with other agencies to serve families who are homeless in our community.

• Built a reputation for being an agency that efficiently and effectively uses donations to change lives.

Unfortunately, we have not eradicated homelessness in our community, but it is a goal that we stay motivated to reach with each family we help.