Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County, Inc.
The Healthy Start Coalition is a private, non-profit maternal and child health organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, children and families in Hillsborough County. There are 31 Coalitions in Florida that are responsible for assessing community needs; developing a community-based service delivery plan; ensuring integration of local providers and services; and emphasizing positive patient outcomes.

The Children's Board of Hillsborough County 
The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County (CBHC) 2012 Plan focuses on assisting children and families by promoting services and supports that will achieve outcomes in the areas of healthy births, school readiness and early school success. The CBHC strives to improve service delivery in partnership with local providers, neighborhoods, residents and community-based organizations while building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to provide children’s services throughout Hillsborough County.

The Child Abuse Council 
For more than 25 years, the Child Abuse Council has been dedicated to helping children and strengthening families in Hillsborough County through prevention, education and treatment programs. Their mission is to prevent abuse before it occurs, stop abuse that is occurring and rebuilding the child and family after abuse.

St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa 
Since 1993 the Children’s Advocacy Center has served the community by promoting the health and well-being of children. The center is a resource that collaborates with other organizations to help enhance the health, education, safety and future of the children in our community.

Healthy Families Florida & Healthy Families Hillsborough
Healthy Families Hillsborough is part of Healthy Families Florida, a community-based, voluntary home visiting program designed to promote positive parent/child interaction and healthy childhood growth and development, thereby preventing child abuse and neglect. The program is modeled after the highly successful national Healthy Families America Initiative. Healthy Families offers families of newborns living in targeted areas and who are experiencing stressful life situations, home visiting services that are delivered by trained family support workers. The intensity of service is based on the family’s needs.

School District of Hillsborough County 
Their mission is to provide all students the knowledge and skills necessary to reach their highest potential.

The Children's Home,  Inc. - Tampa  
The Children’s Home seeks to create a community where children and families feel loved, nurtured, and safe.

Allegany Franciscan Ministries
Since 1998, Allegany Franciscan Ministries has supported programs assisting underserved and economically poor residents in the Tampa Bay community, continuing the work begun by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany when they arrived in the region in 1931. Through investing in community-based strategies that utilize effective partnerships, they strive to increase access to health services and expand wellness education opportunities of underserved populations in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

Bright Beginnings
Prevention of low birth weight, infant mortality and health promotion, through the first year of life, formed the cornerstone of Bright Beginnings' services and advocacy in Hillsborough County.

Since 1998, Bright Beginnings has expanded its reach to help both children and their families.  Today, through dynamic community partnerships, Bright Beginnings offers:

• Home visitation programs for pregnant and parenting women, including teens;
• Family stability and success programs targeting school success for children, as well as job development and financial literacy courses for adults;
• Family Support & Resource Centers, located in Brandon and North Tampa, that provide developmental play groups for children, school readiness and success programs, and workshops for financial literacy and employability.

Although Bright Beginnings offers services countywide, it focuses on families in targeted zip codes that face multiple life challenges and who have few tangible support systems.  The staff is well trained and supervised to address issues that are disproportionately high in these areas, such as poor birth outcomes and domestic violence.  In addition, a strong bilingual staff meets the growing needs of under-served populations in both rural and urban areas of the county known to have increased language barriers which hinder access to care.

National Family Week
The National Family Week premise is: Children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks, and services.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES
for children and young adults with
special needs in Hillsborough County

FDLRS (Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resource System)
Parent Services
(Parent Liaison Project)
Developmental Screening Program,
Child Find
(813) 837-7777

Early Steps
Early Steps is a locally-based program to meet the needs of infants and toddlers with special needs and their families.

Early Childhood Council
Provides early childhood information and referral services, prevention and early intervention, and training and advocacy to the community.

Childcare Resource & Referral
Early Childhood Readiness Program
(813) 740-4713, ext. 239
Contact: Diana Pulido
Specialist for special needs

Independent Living
Self-Reliance Center for Independent Living
Assists individuals with disabilities to live as independently as possible; services provided at no cost, including help with housing, job readiness, equipment, transportation, counseling, recreational and social opportunities.
8901 North Armenia Avenue
Tampa, FL 33604
813-375-3965
Plant City office: 813-707-7328

Prevent Blindness Florida
Promoting a lifetime of healthy vision care through advocacy, education, screening and research.

Rural Social Services Partnership (RSSP)
The mission of RSSP, Inc. is to develop and enact a comprehensive plan of action to address the social and human service needs of the East and South County areas in partnership with community members and social service agencies that plan, provide and integrate services. For a list of partner service providers in rural east or south Hillsborough County, visit our website.