Child ServicesResources

It takes a village! You don't want to miss out on these amazing and FREE programs for eligible families! The health department provides services designed to support you with educational tools that help to raise a healthy baby. They provide parent support, child development education, and child screenings. Staff will connect you to community resources that could help meet your immediate needs. All of this is offered to your family in the convenience of your home and completely voluntary.”   

Some of the amazing services include:

Breastfeeding Education

Car Seat Safety Certified Specialists

Certified Lactation Counselors

Childbirth Education and Classes

Inter-Conceptual Counseling and Education

Pregnancy Medicaid Information

Referrals to receive medical care

Referrals for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program

Smoking Cessation Education

Transportation Information and Assistance

Provide the latest information about child development

Provide activities to support healthy child development

Screen children for developmental delays

Help parents learn ways to reduce everyday stress

Teach positive parenting skills

Help parents set and reach personal and family goals

Connect families to other community services they may want and need

AND SO MUCH MORE!

It takes a village! You don't want to miss out on these amazing and FREE programs for eligible families! The health department provides services designed to support you with educational tools that help to raise a healthy baby. They provide parent support, child development education, and child screenings. Staff will connect you to community resources that could help meet your immediate needs. All of this is offered to your family in the convenience of your home and completely voluntary.”   

Some of the amazing services include:

Breastfeeding Education

Car Seat Safety Certified Specialists

Certified Lactation Counselors

Childbirth Education and Classes

Inter-Conceptual Counseling and Education

Pregnancy Medicaid Information

Referrals to receive medical care

Referrals for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program

Smoking Cessation Education

Transportation Information and Assistance

Provide the latest information about child development

Provide activities to support healthy child development

Screen children for developmental delays

Help parents learn ways to reduce everyday stress

Teach positive parenting skills

Help parents set and reach personal and family goals

Connect families to other community services they may want and need

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Potentially eligible participants do not have to be on a public assistance program to qualify for WIC services. In our current economy, inflation and rising food costs have created many financial challenges for Florida families. It is times like these that reinforce the importance that eligible Floridians utilize nutrition services, including WIC.

To be eligible for WIC, you must be a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, a woman up to six months postpartum, an infant, or a child under age five. In addition, the applicant must have a low or moderate income, live in Florida, and have a nutrition need that can be helped by WIC foods, nutrition education, and counseling. WIC also provides breastfeeding support and referrals for health care. WIC nutritionists work directly with mothers to educate them about what is best for their baby and their family’s nutrition needs while encouraging them to build healthy habits.

To Schedule an appointment or for more information:  Leon County WIC comes to Franklin health departments (Apalachicola on Thursdays, Once a month on Wednesdays in Carrabelle) to provide services. Please call 850-404-6350 for more information.

Potentially eligible participants do not have to be on a public assistance program to qualify for WIC services. In our current economy, inflation and rising food costs have created many financial challenges for Florida families. It is times like these that reinforce the importance that eligible Floridians utilize nutrition services, including WIC.

To be eligible for WIC, you must be a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, a woman up to six months postpartum, an infant, or a child under age five. In addition, the applicant must have a low or moderate income, live in Florida, and have a nutrition need that can be helped by WIC foods, nutrition education, and counseling. WIC also provides breastfeeding support and referrals for health care. WIC nutritionists work directly with mothers to educate them about what is best for their baby and their family’s nutrition needs while encouraging them to build healthy habits.

To learn more about the WIC Program or to see if you are eligible, Please call (850) 872-4666 to make an appointment or inquire about our services. Bay County WIC comes to Gulf to provide services locally.

This website has a lot of really helpful education to help prepare for pregnancy and parenting.

Be sure to reach out to your local health department to help you navigate local services to help you!

About the Strong Florida Moms website:

Every mom and family needs access to trusted medical information and resources no matter where they are in their parenting journey.

Strong Florida Moms is where you can access information about what to expect during pregnancy, resources to obtain health care, and answers to many of the questions Florida moms and dads have about parenting. Families can also access community resources such as local support groups with other moms, initiatives that connect to job opportunities, and other resources tailored to their parenting journey.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngster (HIPPY) is an evidenced-based family support model that works directly with parents in their homes, a home base, early intervention program that helps parents create experiences for their children that lay the foundation for success in school and later life.

Our proven model is delivered by Peer Educators for 30 weeks of high-quality school readiness curriculum activities and books are provided directly to parents, who then work each day with their own three, four and five-year old children. The achievement gap can appear well before children enter kindergarten. Children who begin school having missed critical early learning opportunities are already at risk for failure in school. HIPPY, an evidenced-based early learning program, addresses these issues by supporting parents in their crucial role as their child’s first and most influential teachers. The home-based model provides very structured materials and support to help parents close the word gap. The program brings families, organizations, and communities together and removes any barriers to participation.

North Florida Child Developments, HIPPY program serves children in Gulf, Calhoun, Liberty and Franklin Counties. Please contact the HIPPY Coordinator, Ashley Ferrell, for more information at aferrell@floridachildren.org

This program is part of North Florida Child Development.

Our compassionate care team at Studer Family Children's Hospital Pediatrics - Port St. Joe is dedicated to the care of sick and injured babies, children and teens.Care for your child's everyday healthcare needs

We offer care for children from babies through their teenage years. By knowing you and your child well, your child's pediatric care team can deliver personalized care that fits your child's physical and emotional health needs. Your doctor is your partner in health, from helping your child recover from childhood illness and managing more serious health concerns. And, your doctor can help your child stay well by finding health problems early when they are most treatable.

• Growth and development concerns
• Newborn and child well-checks, including vaccinations
• Preventive health for kids, camp, school and sports physicals
• Unexpected, non-life threatening, childhood illness or injury

We are the behind-the-scenes team ensuring Northwest Florida children have access to affordable, high quality early learning experiences, so every child is prepared for success in school.

Child Care Resource & Referral

School Readiness (Financial Assistance Program)

Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK)

Child Developmental Screenings

Mental Health Services

Parent Advisory Committee

The Family Health Line is a statewide, toll-free hotline offering counseling information and community referrals about pregnancy, infant and toddler issues. The goal of the hotline is to improve the health status of Florida's pregnant women and their children by providing callers with information on helpful community resources and answering basic questions about pregnancy, breastfeeding, childbirth education and other pregnancy-related concerns. The Family Health Line is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Serving Gulf and Franklin Counties -If you have a child under the age of 3 and are interested in more information please contact Jason Lilly (Jason@healthystartbfg.org) T.E.A.M. Dad is a free program that equips fathers with the self-awareness, compassion, and resources that every good parent needs. T.E.A.M. Dad is about Teaching, Empowering, Advocating for, and Mentoring men on their fatherhood journey.

To report Human Trafficking to law enforcement in Florida, call 1 (855) 352-7233.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining, by any means, a person for labor or services involving forced labor, slavery or servitude in any industry, such as forced or coerced participation in agriculture, prostitution, manufacturing, or other industries or in domestic service or marriage (Freedom Network, based on the federal criminal law definitions of trafficking).

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) provides a variety of services. They provide family & child services, safety and protection services, substance abuse and mental health linkages, and more.

DCF has several numbers to get access to helpful resources:

Abuse Hotline: 1-800-962-2873

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-500-1119

Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990

General Questions/Customer Call Center line: (850) 300-4323

Florida Relay 711 or TTY 1-800-955-8771, Available 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday

The Gulf Coast Sexual Assault Program began provided services to adult and minor victims of sexual violence in Gulf. A 24 Hour Hotline serves to provide immediate telephone crisis intervention services to all primary and secondary victims of sexual violence.

By calling this hotline, the caller will be assisted in evaluating immediate needs, provided information about available resources, provided information about the effects of sexual violence, general information about medical and legal issues, offered advocacy services and provided options regarding next steps. Any request made to the Sexual Assault Program will prompt a response by one of our qualified Victim Advocates within an acceptable time frame. Advocates can provide multiple referrals and information, crisis counseling, court accompaniment, and provide support for the client in their time of need.

The program is also committed to provide a coordinated, trauma sensitive response to all victims of sexual violence. A part of this commitment includes community education and awareness. Our agency works diligently to development and maintain productive relationships with other programs and providers within the areas we serve to ensure maximum outcomes for all individuals in need.

Mission Statement-To protect and enhance the quality of life for victims of sexual violence and child abuse in our community by providing a trauma-sensitive, specialized approach to assess, identify, treat and prevent sexual assault and child abuse through the coordination of community resources.

Protecting children & strengthening Gulf Coast Families through child protection teams, Gulf Coast Sexual Assault Program, KidsCourt, Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, and Trauma Treatment Team.

The Youth Services Program provides direct services to youth who have experienced or been affected by domestic violence. Trained staff and volunteers work to provide a safe space for youth to talk openly regarding their experience as well as provide them with helpful tools to navigate the violence they experience in their lives. Refuge House’s youth services are designed to reduce the risk factors leading kids toward violence and promote protective factors in an effort to end the cycle of violence. These services include but are not limited to:

Individual and group advocacy

Crisis intervention

Information and referrals

Evidence-based curricula implementation

Educational and social support groups

Safety-planning in relation to child’s age and environment

Toll Free Florida Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-500-1119

Toll Free Florida Sexual Assault Hotline: 888-956-7273

TTY: 800-621-4202

Children's Medical Services (CMS) is a collection of programs for eligible children with special needs. Each one of our programs and services are family-centered and designed to help children with a variety of conditions and needs.

CMS has a variety of services for expecting moms, newborn babies, infants and toddlers, school-aged children, adolescents and young adults. All of our services are provided by highly qualified physicians, nurses, social workers and other health care providers around the state. Through our family-centered programs, they make sure your child gets the care he or she needs.

Early Steps (early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers, from birth to 36-months, with developmental delays, disabilities and at-risk conditions.)

Big Bend Early Steps – Panama City

Counties Served: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Washington

Children's Home Society, 700 W. 23rd Street, Building E 40, Panama City, FL 32405

Phone: (850) 747-5411

Fax: (850) 747-5583

Big Bend Early Steps – Tallahassee

Counties Served: Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla, Franklin

Children's Home Society, 325 John Knox Rd, Building A, Tallahassee, FL 32303

Phone: (850) 921-0772

Fax: (850) 270-5153

About Early Steps

Every child grows and develops at their own pace, but research shows that a child’s first three years are the most important time for learning. We help families build on their child’s individual strengths and provide support to meet each child’s unique needs. Getting help early puts your child on the right path to learn and develop at their full potential.

Florida’s resource for helping families of children with disabilities.

You’ll find the resources and support your family needs. Call the number above or check out their wonderful website.

Blind Babies Program

The Blind Babies Program was established by the Florida Legislature in 2000 to provide community-based early intervention education for children from birth through five years of age who are blind or visually impaired, and for their parents, families, and caregivers.

The program promotes early development with a special emphasis on vision skills to minimize developmental delays. This education lays the groundwork for future learning by helping a child progress through normal developmental stages. It teaches children to discover and to make the best use of their skills for future success in school.

The program helps ensure that visually impaired and blind children enter school as ready to learn as their sighted classmates. It also links children and their families to other available resources that could assist these families in the future. Early intervention services offered through the Blind Babies Program are delivered by community-based provider organizations.

Children's Program:

The Children's Program was established by the Florida Legislature in 2000 to facilitate blind and visually impaired children's fullest participation within the family, community, and educational settings.

The program supplements services already offered by the school system to foster the child's learning and ability to function independently. The student's parents, family, and caregivers are an integral part of the program to foster independence.

Children's Program Specialists serve eligible children so that they may reach educational and independent living goals. Successful outcomes enable students to transition from school to Vocational Rehabilitation or other appropriate community programs.

Help Me Grow promotes early identification of developmental, behavioral, and educational concerns, then links children and families to community-based services and supports at no cost to parents and caregivers.

To get connected, call 2-1-1 or go on their website to fill out a screening form.

FDLRS Child Find assists in the location, identification, evaluation and initiation of appropriate education or other needed services for children and youth, three through five years of age who have, or are at risk of developing, special or unique needs and are not enrolled in public school.

For children already enrolled in public school or over the age of 6, please contact the school district ESE office in your county of residence.

Licensed Mental Health Counselor LeeAnne Poloronis works with children, teens and women in person and via telehealth.

Tess is a chatbot middle and high school age children can text, just like they would with a friend. This is not a crisis response service.

Tess is a mental health chatbot powered by AI. Tess supports students by listening to their concerns and delivers psychoeducational content and mental health coping techniques. Chatting with Tess is stigma free and she provides unbiased emotional support on-demand.

Available 24/7 via text message, students can use the chat box above to begin chatting with Tess. Developed in collaboration with mental health professionals, Tess provides self-help content that has been proven to lower symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Built by clinical psychologists and used by more than 19 million people, Tess is a mental health chatbot that coaches people through tough times by having text message conversations.

Promoted through the North West Florida Health Network.

Children’s Outpatient Services

Apalachee’s Children’s Outpatient Program provides psychiatric evaluations, medication management, therapy and case management services. Our services are individualized to meet the unique needs of each family we serve – our staff provide services in the home, office, or child’s school to accommodate family’s busy schedules.

When you are worried about your child’s mental and behavioral health, you might feel frustrated, tired, or even helpless. At Life Management Center, we can help you navigate your child’s mental and behavioral health struggles; there is nothing too big or too small.

Gulf County: 888-785-8750

24-Hour Crisis Line: (850) 522-4485

Toll-Free: (888) 785-8750

Empowering You(th)

Individualized services that focus on building self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and personal identity for teens struggling with substance misuse and mental health.

Our Youth Outpatient programs empower teens to identify their needs in life and assess personal strengths to achieve short and long-term goals. Passionate professionals collaborate with family members, school officials, and other community service providers to ensure their needs are met.

We are the boots on the ground to help people in crisis when they have trouble making ends meet while assisting those in poverty who want to become independent of government assistance.

Capital Area is ready to assist those eligible families who need help paying their electric bills or finding stable housing. The Agency can help eligible clients weatherize their homes so residents can better afford food or medicine.

The Getting Ahead program works with individuals and families to help work out of poverty. The Agency’s curriculum assists clients in better understanding the causes of poverty, setting life goals and providing support to help them work out of poverty to a life that is thriving.

We are the boots on the ground to help people in crisis when they have trouble making ends meet while assisting those in poverty who want to become independent of government assistance.

Capital Area is ready to assist those eligible families who need help paying their electric bills or finding stable housing. The Agency can help eligible clients weatherize their homes so residents can better afford food or medicine.

For young children from low-income families, Head Start is an incredible preschool program to get students ready for kindergarten. Head Start offers free medical care to kids. Family Advocates work with the parents to help them achieve more financial independence.

The Getting Ahead program works with individuals and families to help work out of poverty. The Agency’s curriculum assists clients in better understanding the causes of poverty, setting life goals and providing support to help them work out of poverty to a life that is thriving.

Head Start provides children with activities that help them grow mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically.  Professionals will arrange vision and hearing tests and any needed immunizations. Head Start offers a nutrition assessment and dental exams as well. Children with health needs receive follow-up care. Mental health and other services are available for children and families with special needs.

The Nest afterschool and summer programs have been operated by the First United Methodist Church Eastpoint Youth and Children's Center. While the Nest is administered by a faith-based organization, it is open to all Franklin County students regardless of faith who are in pre-Kindergarten through the eighth grade. The Nest programs are free of charge. The Nest is funded each grant year under the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) program which is administered by the Florida Department of Education. The Nest is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) which sets high standards for member schools, and ACSI inspects our operations annually.  

The Nest afterschool and summer programs have been operated by the First United Methodist Church Eastpoint Youth and Children's Center. While the Nest is administered by a faith-based organization, it is open to all Franklin County students regardless of faith who are in pre-Kindergarten through the eighth grade. The Nest programs are free of charge. The Nest is funded each grant year under the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) program which is administered by the Florida Department of Education. The Nest is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) which sets high standards for member schools, and ACSI inspects our operations annually.  

Program services are provided free of charge and include homework help, targeted tutoring, educational enhancement, recreational activities, and field trips throughout the academic year with a full-time program in the summer weeks. 

To provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet state and local student academic achievement standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and mathematics. Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs, art, music, and recreation programs, technology education programs and character education programs, that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students. Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

Childcare centers, Pre-K and VPK programs (Early/Head Start) with locations in Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, Blountstown, Crawfordville, Greenville and Madison, FL. Our mission is to deliver the best childcare services available in a safe learning environment.

Childcare providers who offer high-quality education and family assistance programs where parents are actively engaged in their children’s progress. We provide nutritious, family-style meals and physical, social, emotional and intellectual development to prepare children to be ready for school.

The Methodist Learning Center (MLC) is a licensed preschool center offering childcare and early education curriculum. Also offers a full-day program and an after-school enrichment program.

Childcare centers, Pre-K and VPK programs (Early/Head Start) with locations in Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, Blountstown, Crawfordville, Greenville and Madison, FL. Our mission is to deliver the best childcare services available in a safe learning environment.

Childcare providers who offer high-quality education and family assistance programs where parents are actively engaged in their children’s progress. We provide nutritious, family-style meals and physical, social, emotional and intellectual development to prepare children to be ready for school.

Taunton Family Children's Home, Inc. is a privately owned haven for homeless children. It's mission is to provide a stable, loving, Christian home environment for those of God's children who have nowhere else to turn.

Our Programs

At Franklin Youth Essentials Corp, we offer a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of our youth:

• Clothing Distribution: We provide essential clothing items to children and teens in need, ensuring they have access to appropriate attire for school and everyday life.
• Educational Support: Our organization supplies educational materials, including school supplies and books, to help students succeed in their studies.
• Community Engagement: We organize events and workshops that encourage youth participation, promote life skills, and build a sense of community.

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure that all youth in Franklin County have access to the clothing, educational materials, and resources they need to succeed. We aim to bridge the gap for families facing economic challenges, fostering an environment where children can grow, learn, and flourish.

Helping Children in Need Sleep Better

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Idaho and across the US, too many boys and girls go without a bed—or even a pillow—to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in. We’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need.

Helping Children in Need Sleep Better

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Idaho and across the US, too many boys and girls go without a bed—or even a pillow—to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in. We’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need.