The Office of the Children's Ombudsperson builds the capacity of children, families, institutions and systems to fulfill the rights of children required to promote and attain their optimal health and wellbeing.
Jacksonville’s Children’s Ombudsperson is one part of the child mental health initiative to transform Northeast Florida’s extensive network of home and community-based mental health services into a unified system. The initiative is the result of a System of Care Grant awarded to the City of Jacksonville from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The core principles of the System of Care model is that services and approaches be family-driven, youth-guided, and culturally and linguistically competent, and using the principles of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Ombuddy will work to increase the voice, choice, and access to services for children and youth in the areas of:
- Rights Respecting Schools
- Early Learners
- Children and Youth in child welfare system
- Youth experiencing homelessness
- Youth involved in the juvenile justice system
To find out more about how The Office of the Children's Ombudsperson, or "Jax Ombuddy" supports the rights of children and youth and is helping to make Jacksonville a child-friendly city, go to Jax Ombuddy or email Garry Bevel