Programs & Services
Orange County Family Services Department
The Orange County Family Services Department oversees programs and services that improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The Family Services Department provides services that preserve and enhance the quality of life in the community by protecting and promoting the health and welfare of citizens through the effective planning, implementation and management of human services, and by providing cultural and historical opportunities. Focusing on children and family services, community partnerships, education and culture, and seniors, this multi-disciplinary, diverse department serves to meet the challenges of life present in a rapidly changing metropolitan area. The overarching goal is to encourage self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, and eliminate barriers to economic opportunity, and to prepare children, youth and families for healthy, productive lives. The Family Services Department utilizes five (5) major focus areas to categorize its programs and services.
Early Childhood Education
Head Start: Early Education
In Head Start, children learn from highly qualified teachers while receiving medical and nutritional care.
Orange County Head Start is an early childhood education program governed jointly by the Board of County Commissioners and the Head Start Policy Council. Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education to 1,536 children ages three to 5 years old; whose families are low-income (below the federal poverty level guidelines) and live in Orange County, Florida.
- Early Childhood Education
- Parent, Family and Community Engagement
- Medical, Dental and Disability
Educational Enrichment
Regional History Center
History and fun collide at our Adventures in History summer camp program. We have exciting changes this year, including new themes, history-focused activities, and more field trips and special programs.
As the largest history museum in Central Florida, the Regional History Center hosts three floors of exhibits covering 12,000 years of Central Florida history. The History Center also has the largest collection of historic materials in the area, and hosts a research library. These materials are available for public use and are used to interpret the history of the area through exhibits, programs, and publications. The History Center hosts events and programming for all ages, and offers educational programming to all ages from K-12. These programs include field trips, scout programs, summer camp programs, and various family and adult programs. Additionally, the History Center hosts limited-run exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution and other national museums. The Orange County Regional History Center is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Family Services Department and the Tourist Development Tax, with additional support from the Historical Society of Central Florida, and United Arts of Central Florida.
Cooperative Extension
Cooperative Extension Division provides practical research based education and consultation to address local needs in the areas of agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, and 4-H youth development. Teaching sustainable, educational, environmental and family resources management reduces the use of water and energy and increases the economic viability of Local communities development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families. They engage parents in their children’s learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals.
Neighborhood Preservation & Revitalization
Orange County citizens and businesses identify neighborhood needs and issues so that resources can be accessed to help revitalize, strengthen and preserve the physical, social and economic value of Orange County neighborhoods. Services include Business Assistance for Neighborhood Corridors (BANC); Safe Neighborhoods Targeted Areas; Community Outreach; Neighborhood Organizing; Neighborhood Planning; Community project support includes Community & Neighborhood Clean-Ups; Community Code Enforcement; Neighborhood Pride Project Funding, and Yard of the Month.
Juvenile Justice, Prevention, Foster Care
Youth and Family Services
The Youth and Family Services (Y&FS) Division provides a safety net for children and families in crisis in Orange County. Services include foster care group homes, youth shelter, family counseling, parent education, juvenile probation services, family stabilization services, and mental health counseling for youth. The Juvenile Assessment Center also provides an array of social service programs that link services across the division.
Programs:
- Great Oaks Village
- Family Preservation and Stabilization
- Family Counseling
- Oaks Community Intervention
- Juvenile Assessment Center
- Youth Shelter
- Stop Now and Plan
Mental and Physical Health
Mental Health and Homeless Issues Division
The Orange County Mental Health and Homeless Division ensures that quality mental health services for individuals and families, children and adults, are available and accessible in this community. The division ensures that there are dedicated resources available through a network of community partners, providers and advocacy groups. Orange County continues to lead community conversations in a continuous effort to identify better solutions and stronger outcomes for those experiencing homelessness and mental health/behavioral needs.
Mental Health Services for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Orange County provides the leadership for Wraparound Orange, a federally supported project comprised of a community collaborative of partner agencies contracted to provide wraparound services to children, adolescents and young adults. Wraparound is a nationally recognized model, provides intensive care coordination and management for children, adolescents, and young adults experiencing a behavioral/emotional/mental health and/or substance abuse disorder and their families. Wraparound Orange provides services to those ages 0-21 and is effective in keeping children, adolescents and young adults in their home, school and community. For more information, visit wraparoundorange.net.
Drug Free Office
The Drug Free Office provides educational support for substance abuse prevention, education, enforcement & treatment for children, youth and families. Youth Program Activities include Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (NREPP) Train-the-Trainer, Youth Gospel Rave; Youth Ambassadors Drug Prevention Program; Alcohol, Marijuana, RX Drugs & Tobacco Prevention Peer to Peer Drug Education/Training; Youth Leadership Training; Red Ribbon Celebration, Poster, Essay and PSA Contest; Meet the Judge Prevention Program; MADD Power of Youth/Youth In Action; Family Day & SAMHSA Reach Out Now Alcohol Prevention Program.
Strengthening Children and Families
Neighborhood Center for Families
The Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCF) offer many services for families at their locations throughout Orange County. The services include counseling programs, limited health services, and other types of family support services.
The Citizens’ Commission for Children (CCC) Division funds, evaluates, monitors, and administers contracts that specifically address the needs of children, youth, and families in Orange County. The CCC funds 13 Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCFs) that consist of numerous collaborative agencies using the one-stop-shop for human services Family Support Model. The CCC funds the After School Zone (ASZ) program at 28 Orange County middle schools. The CCC provides oversight and management for the Citizens’ Review Panel (CRP) which facilitates a process for funding human service programs throughout Orange County.
Programs:
- Neighborhood Centers for Families
- Afterschool Zones
- Citizens Review Panel
After School Zone
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida (After School Zone) is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.
Citizens Review Panel
Orange County Citizens’ Review Panel (CRP) Fund Distribution Process
Community Action
The Orange County Community Action Division’s mission is to enhance the quality of life, promoting self-sufficiency, and eliminating the causes and consequences of poverty by mobilizing and directing socioeconomic resources, collaboration and partnership, and by providing high-quality, easily accessible programs and services.
The Community Action Division operates eight (8) community centers that are one-stop community focused facilities .These outreach facilities provide services to assist the needs of low income citizens through education, recreation, social services, and financial resources. Community Action is a recipient of a Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) which is used to assist families in becoming self-sufficient. The division also administers a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that is used to assist low income households in paying their home energy bills and Weatherization to assist low income citizens of Orange County.
- Community Outreach Centers (8)
- Family Self-Sufficiency Program
- Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program
- Weatherization Assistance Program
- Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District
Citizens Resource and Outreach
The Citizen Resource & Outreach Division promotes self-sufficiency by providing a number of services including financial assistance to citizens experiencing temporary crisis, benefit and claims assistance to veterans, supportive housing assistance to chronically homeless and disabled, and educational outreach and referral services to those with disabilities. It also provides referrals to internal and external organizations based on need and eligibility.
- Crisis Assistance Program (CAP)
- Family Resource Program (FRP)
- Shelter Plus Care Program (SPC)
Consumer Fraud
The Consumer Fraud Division processes consumer complaints and initiates investigations into alleged unfair and deceptive business practices and attempts to resolve them. The division also issues civil citations against unlicensed contractors operating in unincorporated Orange County. It refers complaints to other agencies, as appropriate, and educates and informs Orange County citizens on consumer issues through meetings, media interviews, telephone inquiries, and the development and distribution of informational brochures.