SailFuture is an innovative child welfare and juvenile justice agency dedicated to transforming the lives of some of the most challenging youth in our society. We work with 16-18 year old crossover youth – boys who are in foster care and have criminal charges.

Many of the youth we serve are at risk of being sent to juvenile prisons, or are returning to the community from a correctional setting. Traditional intervention and counseling programs haven’t worked, and an entirely new approach is needed to effectively intervene and empower these these underdogs to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Our wraparound model combines a 3-month sailing voyage with long-term housing, mental health counseling, alternative education, job training, and life coaching. 

For the first three months of the program, the boys live aboard a 65’ sailing vessel, and earn their GED or high school diploma while leading service projects in ports around the state of Florida. 

On the boat, our boys work 1:1 with a mental health counselor to address deeply-rooted trauma, and create personal development plans that outline their employment, education, and housing goals.



Upon returning home, youth live with the same staff from the boat and continue to work towards the goals set forth in their individualized plans. They will complete their education, obtain part-time jobs, and plan for life after SailFuture. Their average stay in the home is 1-2 years.