Dear Community Partners,


 As we approach the season of giving thanks, we are thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated Children’s Board Family Resource Center in Brandon. Our third Resource Center originally opened in 2004 on Kingsway Road and has served families well for many years. Now we are delighted to welcome them to a beautiful new space with greater capacity, centrally located in “old Brandon.”


The new Brandon Family Resource Center is named for the Honorable Katherine Essrig, a long-time Board member who is retiring after twenty-five years of dedicated service with us. For much of her career, Judge Essrig served with distinction as a juvenile dependency judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. She tirelessly advocated for the well-being of children and for support for families in our community, and we are proud to recognize her lasting contributions.


The Children’s Board proudly offers seven Family Resource Centers throughout Hillsborough County and partners with Lutheran Services Florida to manage programming and staff the Centers. The Centers offer families with children from birth to age eighteen universal access to educational, recreational, and social opportunities in a safe and welcoming environment. Each Center provides information and referrals, hosts multiple services on site, and maintains relationships with community partners and volunteers. Additionally, the Children’s Board funds a network of providers offering developmental play groups, mobile medical clinics, hearing and vision screenings, safety classes, tutoring, and more.


At each Center, a Family Community Advisory Council helps guide decisions and recruits community-based partners to support Center activities, including educational programs and family events. Service coordination is also available at every Center for families with children from birth to age five.
As we celebrate this new chapter in Brandon, we are grateful to our partners, volunteers, and staff, and to Judge Essrig, whose service has shaped the Children’s Board and the families we serve. We invite you to visit the Brandon Family Resource Center, meet our team, and see how you can get involved. Thank you for helping us build a stronger, more supportive community for every child and family in Hillsborough County.

With gratitude,


Rebecca