FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, FIRST COAST YMCA PARTNER
TO PROVIDE NEW BENEFITS FOR FOSTER FAMILIES

FSS-licensed foster parents receive discounted YMCA memberships in first-of-its-kind program

From left to right: Leigh Ann Luttrell, Community Engagement Manager for Family Support Services Duval and Nassau Counties; Tim Burrows, First Coast YMCA Vice President of Communications; Rochelle Lockett, Community Engagement Specialist II, Family Support Services; Burt Cannon, First Coast YMCA’s Associate Executive Director, and First Coast YMCA Program & Membership Director Rachel Mills together at the Winston Family YMCA in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. A new collaboration between Family Support Services Duval & Nassau Counties and the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast will provide discounted YMCA memberships to FSS-licensed foster families to explore fun, family-friendly activities in a safe, supportive environment.

Jacksonville, Fla. (June 16, 2023) – Family Support Services Duval and Nassau Counties and the First Coast YMCA are partnering to offer a new program in support of foster families across the First Coast. Family Support Services is sending Foster Parent Partnership e-cards to more than 600 foster families licensed with the agency in Duval and Nassau counties, providing them discounted memberships at their local First Coast YMCA.

“Family Support Services and the First Coast YMCA are aligned in our missions to support our First Coast families and build stronger communities,” says Leigh Ann Luttrell, Community Engagement Manager for FSS. “We’re thankful for this opportunity to provide our families a new network for fun, health and connection through this ongoing friendship with the Y.”

To participate, FSS-licensed foster families need to show their Foster Parent Partnership e-card to the Welcome Center staff at any First Coast YMCA branch in Duval or Nassau county to receive the special discount. Good for six months at a time, FSS-licensed foster families will receive new e-cards from the agency if they continue their licensure in good standing.

“Everything we do is grounded in meeting the unique needs of the individuals and communities we serve – and we can’t do it alone. Partners with like-minded values and goals, like Family Support Services, help us increase access and involvement so more people can reach their potential and thrive,” said Michelle Moore, First Coast YMCA Chief Membership and Marketing Officer. “We’re excited to collaborate with Family Support Services to provide opportunities for more foster families in Jacksonville to be active together, learn new skills, strengthen bonds and create memories for a lifetime.”

The idea for this partnership was planted when the FSS Community Engagement approached the YMCA to take part in the child welfare agency’s first-ever discount program for FSS-licensed foster parents in May, in which more than 20 local businesses provided discounts as a show of appreciation during National Foster Care Month.

With nearly 1,000 children in the First Coast foster care system, the need for foster families exists throughout the year. Go to familysupport.org to learn more about Family Support Services and how to support children in the system of care. To find your local YMCA branch or learn about their programs, go to fcymca.org.

About Family Support Services (FSS) Duval and Nassau Counties

Family Support Services is the lead agency for family preservation, foster care and adoption services in Duval, Nassau, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Through community-based care, FSS provides services and programs to help prevent child abuse and neglect, to promote a healthy family environment and to care for our community’s children in foster care. For more information, go to familysupport.org.

About the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast

For more than 110 years, the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast has been providing men, women and children of all ages, and from all walks of life, opportunities to build stronger bonds, live healthy and become more engaged with their communities. Learn more: fcymca.org.

For media inquiries or reprint permission, email Chanel.Martin@fssnf.org.