Children’s Board Executive Director, Kelley Parris Discusses Safe Sleep and Choosing a Safe Caregiver on the “Morning Blend”


TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County works to help local children and their families live their best lives, but that mission is never easy. Now the board has a new leader charged with making it all happen. Rebecca Bacon is no stranger to the children’s board; she’s been there for 16…
By Kelly Wise Valdes – May 31, 2024 Now that summer is here, Hillsborough County launched Safe Pools Day Tampa Bay, which was aimed at educating families about practicing pool safety while they enjoy swimming this summer. Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths of children 4 years old or younger, and most of the…
By Linda Chion – September 6, 2024 The second of two StoryWalk locations in Southeastern Hillsborough County held a celebratory ribbon-cutting in Ruskin in August, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of SouthShore. The August 10 ceremony, at the Ruskin Park & Recreation Center, heralded the grand opening of the fourth of five Hillsborough StoryWalk locations….
Social-Emotional Learning is crucial to the success of all students. As children return to school this week, listen to an important message from our Executive Director, Kelley Parris sharing tips and resources for parents in and out of school on the ABC Action News – WFTS – Tampa Bay Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend!
FOX 13 News HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County school district announced a new program Friday that is aimed at helping students whose families are facing homelessness avoid ending up on the streets. The program, called Pathways to Hope, launched in March, allowing the district and its partners in the community to hit the ground running when the…
Dear Community Partners,
It’s hard to believe but we are winding down another year, and the Children’s Board research team is hard at work analyzing data for our annual impact report. In 2025 the Children’s Board funded a total of 140 programs. In addition, there were 9 recipients of Technical Assistance Grants and 17 of our partners were able to expand existing services.
As we reflect on the successes of 2025, we also look forward to opportunities to partner and grow in 2026. The Children’s Board continues to increase essential resources for children and families through new programs. Be on the lookout for our 2026 Family Guide, for an updated directory of all funded services. We are fortunate to be releasing several funding opportunities this year as well, to support services prioritized by the Board and community.
Continuing with the good news, at the November meeting the Board approved a youth council grant with Frameworks of Tampa Bay, Inc. and a “Science of Hope” mentoring grant with the Florida Education Fund. Additionally, the Board approved two match grants with ReDefiners World Languages and Feeding America Tampa Bay, which leverage funds from other funding agencies. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Hillsborough County BOCC on the Feeding Tampa Bay grant, providing much-needed support for the Hillsborough County Public Schools Food Pantry Program at 27 schools.
The Children’s Board sends gratitude to the many dedicated and compassionate professionals serving families in our community, making Hillsborough County one of the best places to raise children. Warm wishes for a joyful holiday season and looking forward to continued growth and collaboration in 2026!
