Family Resources

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, PROVIDERS AND FAMILIES OF CHILDREN BIRTH TO 3

Pinellas County Coummunity Foundation & Juvenile Welfare Board logos

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.

Before we outline the many great everyday resources for families, here is information helpful to families affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. First, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network published a tip sheet for parents regarding ways to understand and help very young children after a storm has caused disruptions.

Second, for more tangible help with material needs, Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) have opened in south and mid county to provide resources for Pinellas County families. In south county the DRC is at the Enoch D. Davis Center on 1111 18th Avenue South in St. Petersburg and in mid-county it is at the Florida Botanical Gardens, Magnolia Room, on 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo. The DRCs are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and are serving area families at both locations. Learn more about the Disaster Recovery Center.

If you are looking for ways of managing stress so you can stay focused on your infants and young children, we have collected a variety of videos and activities that can help. During the COVID pandemic, with the support of the Pinellas Community Foundation, the USF Family Study Center developed an array of video and virtual supports allowing parents to take time out, check in about their everyday stresses and challenges, and focus on their infants and toddlers. Included among these resources was a series of "Baby Hours" including dedicated sessions for parents of babies, parents of toddlers, BIPOC parents, Spanish-speaking parents, and fathers. These “evergreen” sessions continue to offer valuable and fun tips, resources, and helpful insights, and so we have reproduced them below for anytime viewing.

Turbo Babies logo

Also, during and after the pandemic, 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 their 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.

Third, the Family Study Center has 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 assure an equitable, accessible, responsive, and accountable early childhood system 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! 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 during the COVID era, specifically related to helping small children with trauma and anxiety that includes many terrific links and resources for parents and caregivers celebrating babies’ joy, curiosity, and thirst for exploration and fun. Please check them out!

We are 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 the 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

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

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

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)

Virtual Field Trips

Other Helpful Links

Resources in Additional Languages