STUART — Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast – the four counties covered by Communities Connected for Kids’ child welfare system – reached its 2025 adoption goal in February with four months left on the countdown.

“Our goal for the 2024-2025 year was 75 – a number we expected to reach at the end of our fiscal year in June,” said Christina Kaiser, CCKids community relations director.

Instead, Kaiser said the area exceeded that goal in February, ending the month with 77 children placed in adoptive homes.

This year’s increase in adoptions is part of a multi-year trend resulting in more children exiting out-of-home care (foster care, for example) and finding permanency.

CCKids’ overall permanency outcomes – which include children returning home or finding permanent homes with relatives, in addition to adoption – has increased steadily for the past several years.

In fact, CCKids consistently is among the top-performing Lead Agencies for child permanency in Florida. Lead Agencies, like CCKids, are organizations that oversee local child-welfare systems throughout the state.  

“We really have to give credit where it’s due,” Kaiser said. “Children’s Home Society is part of our network of providers, and they are responsible for adoptions in our area;

“The adoption staff works hard to find adoptive homes for children who need them.”