Jessica Kaestner

meet: jessica

Author of

Ana’s Friends

Jessica Kaestner is the CEO of A.N.A.’s Friends, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving abused, neglected, abandoned, and foster children across Southwest Florida. She has spent much of her career advocating for children navigating the dependency court system and working to ensure that every child feels seen, supported, and cared for.

Her work is deeply rooted in professional experience, personal belief, and lived experience. Jessica knows that while systems matter, people matter more, and that healing often begins when someone shows up and keeps showing up. Through her leadership, A.N.A.’s Friends has expanded its reach, programs, and services, guided by the belief that no child should feel alone in their story.

Under Jessica’s leadership, A.N.A.’s Friends has experienced significant and sustained growth, expanding offerings, deepening community partnerships, and dramatically increasing its impact for vulnerable children. What began as a small organization over forty years ago has grown into a trusted, mission-driven presence across the region, supported by a growing community of Friends who believe in helping children heal, grow, and thrive. There are many Friends already, and always room for more.

Jessica’s path to this work began with a deep interest in people, systems, and justice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Skidmore College, with a focus on social work and social justice. Jessica’s work has been recognized with multiple 40 Under 40 awards. At the heart of her work is a commitment to instilling hope. Every day, Jessica witnesses how consistency, kindness, and presence can help children move from surviving to healing, from healing to growing, and from growing to thriving.

Jessica lives in Florida with her husband, Dillon, and their two children, Kate and Wyatt. When she isn’t working, which is rare, she can usually be found reading on the lanai or convincing herself that she is finally going to finish the sewing project sitting in her closet.

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The inspiration for Ana’s journey comes from children entering foster care, often during one of the most confusing and difficult moments of their lives. Ana is not one child. She represents the hundreds of thousands of Abused, Neglected, Abandoned children across our country whose lives are changed overnight and who must navigate insurmountable uncertainty they did not choose.

At the same time, the heart of this story reaches beyond foster care. The need for connection, belonging, and reassurance is not unique to childhood or to any one experience. All of us, at some point in our lives, face change, trauma, or moments that leave us feeling unsure of our footing.

Ana’s journey is not about being rescued or made whole by a single moment or person. It is about what happens when someone notices, sits beside you, and stays long enough for things to feel possible again: When a Friend shows up.

Throughout this book, Ana meets many Friends. Some teach her how to swim. Some help her learn and grow. Some offer comfort. Some simply share joy. Each one plays a small but meaningful role, not by changing who Ana is, but by helping her feel safe enough to take the next step.

This story is for Abused, Neglected, Abandoned children who feel in between. It is also for anyone who has ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of what comes next, and for the people who choose to walk beside them.