Family Resources
Resources for parents, providers, and families of children birth to 3
Welcome! We’re glad you found us. On this page, we’ve gathered many resources that will be of interest to parents, coparents and childcare providers who care for children birth to age 3.
In April, 2025, we celebrated the “Week of the Young Child”, an annual event sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. Of course, every day of every week is just as important for infants’ and toddlers’ early brain development and for the building of cooperative and collaborative skills! This page was designed as a one-stop shop to bring parents and caregivers a variety of resources, videos and other activities that can help them nurture the early development of children birth to age three!
Several years ago, the Family Study Center was among a group of community experts and advocates that worked closely with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County on the development of JWB’s delightful “Turbo Babies” campaign. Turbo Babies offers free resources and materials designed to support healthy development of infants and toddlers, including “Turbo Tips” to help parents and caregivers rev up learning and keep the baby’s development on track - Tune In, Talk & Repeat, Take Turns, and Take Time. Take a moment to check out JWB’s interactive on the Turbo Babies website.
The Family Study Center has also been a longtime partner and strategic collaborator with “Thrive by Five”, a collective impact initiative that began in Pinellas County and in 2024 expanded to serve families throughout Tampa Bay. With backbone support from Community Foundation Tampa Bay, Thrive by Five’s community-oriented approach is on a mission to ensure all children in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties are ready for kindergarten. Parents and caregivers can check out “TB5 Connects”, a portal that helps families find programs and resources to meet a variety of needs! Just complete a short questionnaire and TB5 will provide you with a customized list of available services to meet your young child and family’s unique needs. Another great resource is TB5’s downloadable Early Literacy Resource Guide.
Finally, we also include a variety of excellent additional resources initially collated several years ago during the “shelter-at-home” stretch of the COVID era, that include resources for helping small children cope with trauma and anxiety. However, those resources also include many terrific links and resources for parents and caregivers celebrating babies’ joy, curiosity, and thirst for exploration and fun. Please check them out!
We remain ever grateful to the parents, coparents and childcare providers who work magic in everyday moments to support babies, through both good and challenging times. We invite you to contact our Family Study Center directly at 727-873-4848 any time there are other ways we can be of assistance.
Warmly,
James McHale
Director, and the staff of the USF St. Petersburg campus Family Study Center
Information for Parents to Help Young Children During Times of Stress and Uncertainty
“When We Are Scared” – Free Webinar and Online Book and Video for children by Chandra Ghosh-Ippen
Caring Reminders for Families During Stressful Times - Fred Rogers Productions shares some tips from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood on how families, parents, and caregivers can relieve children’s insecurities and fears.
Tips for Video Chatting with Young Children – Tips for Video Chatting with Young Children – Staying Connected While Far Apart. NAEYC
Sesame Street® Learning Resources - Free resources, including digital storybooks and games, developed in partnership with Sesame Street
Free Audio Books for Kids – Audible
Simple Activities for Children and Adolescents, Most involving no screen time – National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Other Helpful Links
- Zero to Three Network Free Resources for Parents
- Zero to Three Network: Mindfulness for Parents
- PNC Lesson Center – For families with older children: more than 150 free, high-quality lesson plans that parents can adapt for use at home and accompanying learning activities with a focus on the arts and science.
- Helping Children Cope During and After a Disaster
- How are children different from adults?
Resources in Additional Languages
- Parenting FREE Resources in 70 languages
- ¿En qué se diferencian los niños de los adultos?
- Cómo ayudar a los niños a sobrellevar la situación durante y después de un desastre
The Baby Hour! A Video Series filmed in Fall 2020 with the support of the Pinellas Community Foundation
*Set aside a little time to view any of the following videos that sound like they may be of interest to you! Share the link to this site with others and let us know what additional resources you would find most helpful - contact us any time at 727-873-4848.
The Baby Hour: Premier Episode featuring Family Study Center
- The Baby Hour: Braiding the Generations (specially for BIPOC parents) with Guests: Dr. Marva Lewis and Ms. Zina Harris
- The Baby Hour: Little People with Big Feelings with Guest: Ms. Maureen Griner
- La Hora del Bebé: ¡Lo Que Usted Hace Importa! with Guests: Ms. Maggie Sanchez and Ms. Heidi Garcia
- The Baby Hour: Toddler Adventures with Guest: Ms. Jackie Malone
- Real Talk for Dads with Guests: Mr. Rashid Mizell and Pastor Carlos Senior
Virtual Webinars - Support for Childcare Providers Filmed During COVID-19
- Session 1 - Self-care for childcare providers during COVID-19
- Session 2 - Part I - Anticipating and supporting children's emotional distress (part 1)
- Session 2 - Part II - Anticipating and supporting children's emotional distress (part 2)
- Session 3 - Building strong childcare-home partnerships for children during COVID