GRACE LANDING, INC.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Juda is the Executive Director of Grace Landing which she started seven years ago as a response to her growing concern for foster children aging out of foster care. When foster children aged out, there were few options for them when it came to living situations allowing them to continue to learn the skills they need to be successful in life. Juda started Grace Landing as an expression of her heart and passion for foster youth. Juda spends much of a her time fund raising and raising awareness of the needs of foster youth and the work Grace Landing is accomplishing. She is also intimately involved in vision-casting and future planning for Grace Landing’s growth. Juda brings to Grace Landing many years of experience as an educator which allows her the insight needed to carefully and patiently speak into the lives of the youth Grace Landing serves. Juda also has 30 years of experience as a parent and now as a grandparent. This experience is invaluable as many of the youth we work with are in desperate need of encouraging and uplifting parent role models in their lives. Juda views the youth we work with as extensions of her own family and as such deserving of the same love, acceptance and commitment she gave to her biological children. Grace Landing opened in April 2010, as an independent living transition home for aged-out foster youth and homeless boys. As the need for a place for youth aging out of foster care to call home continued to grow, Juda Attkisson began dreaming of how to find a home for these youth. In December of 2009, the Osceola County Commission voted to lease Grace Landing a home that the county owned. On April 17, 2010, Grace Landing opened its doors and began serving boys age 18-23. On October 3, 2011, Grace Landing received its “Child Placing License” to begin recruiting, licensing and supporting foster families. On January 1, 2012, Grace Landing began its contract with CBC of Central Florida to begin recruiting foster families, licensing and support services. In October 2012, Grace Landing opened up its 2nd boys homes for boys 18-23. In June 2014, Grace Landing partnered with FaithBridge Foster Care to do Landscape study for Tri-county foster care district. In June 2014, Grace landing opened family style group home for foster care teenaged boys. In April 2016, Grace Landing contracted with Bill Hancock, Fostering America’s Future, to begin Fostering Our Future, and initiative for Grace Landing. In December 2017, we’re launching a new campaign to meet the need for 100 new foster families in central Florida by 2023. With your help, we will add 20 new foster families annually, and we need you to be a part of the solution. offers practical tools for parents, caregivers, teachers, or anyone who works with children, to see the “whole child” in their care and help that child reach his highest potential. At Grace Landing, everything we do is an intentional, purposeful attempt to bring them justice. We have multiple ways in which we seek justice for homeless youth, aged out foster youth and foster youth. We offer an Independent Living program whose purpose is to equip homeless and aged out foster to live independently. Grace Landing’s mission is to provide the physical, social, mental, and spiritual needs of our young men and to help them gain the skills to be good citizens in the community. Our purpose is to address and resolve issues for homeless youth who are between the ages of 18 and 23, many of whom have aged out of the foster care system. Grace Landing works to address the issue of homelessness for youth who would otherwise be on the street. Our youth in this age group are vulnerable to Sex Trafficking, drugs and usually have not completed high school. The only other place for these youth is the Homeless Shelter.