The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas (JWB) has opened a new Turbo Babies early childhood exhibit at Great Explorations Children’s Museum in St. Petersburg.
Research shows that 80% of brain growth happens in a baby’s first 1,000 days. Fueled by JWB, the Turbo Babies campaign is designed to support parents and caregivers as their child’s first and best teachers by offering practical tips and activities that help supercharge their baby’s learning and keep them on track developmentally from birth to three.
Turbo Babies was designed to support parents and caregivers by offering practical tips and activities that help supercharge their child’s learning and keep developmental milestones on track. “The real beauty of Turbo Babies is that its scientific underpinnings are masked by the simplicity of its messaging, images, and the power of play. So much so that a simple game of peek-a-boo can change the trajectory of a baby’s healthy development,” said JWB Chief Executive Officer Beth A. Houghton.
Turbo Babies’ innovative space at Great Ex is tailored to early childhood development for infants and toddlers. The exhibit underscores the power of play in building babies’ brains. The campaign video, Any Time is Turbo Time, vividly illustrates the campaign’s four Turbo Tips and fun, everyday activities parents and caregivers can do with their babies. This new exhibit provides Turbo Babies and their caregivers with enriching, hands-on educational activities in a space designed specifically for children aged 0 to 3 years old.
This year marks the 18th year of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Best Place to Work and contains a mixture of new and returning honorees.
One of the “best” parts about Best Places to Work is that it gives employees the chance to vote for their workplaces and have a voice. Quantum Workplace surveyed employees at these high-functioning companies about company culture, including compensation and benefits and trust in leaders. Nominations were accepted and nominated companies were surveyed.
Quantum evaluated employees’ responses to create composite scores. Analytical tools selected the top organizations in each size class (small, medium, large and extra large). The results are quantitative, based on employee survey responses rather than a panel of outside judges.
From communication and resources to manager effectiveness and personal engagement, these 60 companies are showing Tampa Bay what it means to be a good employer.
View each honoree to read their full profile and learn what makes them one of the Best Places to Work in Tampa Bay.
The 60 company honorees comprising the 2024 Best Places to Work showed up in full force on Thursday, May 2, 2024, for Tampa Bay’s largest corporate picnic.
Nearly 1,000 employees, managers and their families celebrated at Raymond James Stadium with music, food and games as the ranking order was revealed in the annual event spotlighting Tampa Bay companies that devote time and focus to culture and belonging at work.
This year marks the 18th of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Best Place to Work — a program that gives employees the chance to confidentially vote for their workplaces and have a voice. Quantum Workplace surveyed employees at these high-functioning companies about company culture, including compensation and benefits and trust in leaders. Nominations were accepted and nominated companies were surveyed.
Quantum evaluated employees’ responses to create composite scores. Analytical tools selected the top organizations in each size class (small, medium, large and extra large). The results are quantitative, based on employee survey responses rather than a panel of outside judges.
The post-pandemic era has seen a shift in focus on workplace culture priorities, with access to remote work and flexibility high a high priority. But the future of workplace flexibility is in how employees are able to do their work, research from O.C. Tanner’s 2024 Global Culture Report found.
“While this includes time and place, it’s also about autonomy and control over their time at work,” a summary said.
The report found there are five factors to workplace flexibility that contribute to employees feeling balance, trusted, and valued at work, including time for personal matters and development, as well as autonomy in how employees accomplish their work.
Read more: See all 60 honorees and discover what differentiates their workplaces in the May 3 digital edition.
“While not all jobs can have the same types of flexibility (nor do employees expect them to), organizations can still offer some to every role,” the report said. “It could also mean letting employees find a quiet environment when they need to focus, and allowing them to choose projects they’re interested in.”
Local experts discussed how easily these tragedies can happen, the dangerous effects of a water submersion, the importance of knowing CPR, and resources on how to prevent these incidents from occurring.
In addition, SPFR Paramedics and City of St. Pete Lifeguard provided a demonstration responding to a pediatric drowning on simulation mannequin provide by ECHO Healthcare.
JWB Chief Program Officer Karen Boggess also spoke.
Florida leads the nation in drowning fatalities for children under 5 years old. In 2023, we saw a record increase of pediatric submersions and fatal drownings locally here in Pinellas County, where a total of 37 pediatric submersions tragically led to 4 drowning fatalities.
The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County was established by the Florida Legislature as a countywide special taxing district to strengthen the lives of Pinellas County children and families.
How would you describe your company to someone outside of your industry? In Pinellas County, children are 16% of the population and 100% of our future. For more than 75 years, the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County has been making children a priority, advocating for their best interests and investing to improve their futures.
JWB is an independent special taxing district that was established by a Special Act of the Florida Legislature in 1946 to guard the rights and needs of Pinellas County children. We are governed by an 11-member board that responsibly directs taxpayer dollars to ensure children are ready to learn, thrive and succeed in homes, schools and neighborhoods that are healthy and safe.
Last year, JWB’s investments strengthened the lives of 70,000 children and families through 100 quality programs that were delivered by 53 Pinellas County nonprofit agencies. Plus, tens of thousands more benefited from collaborations to address childhood hunger, grade-level reading, preventable child deaths, children’s mental health and early brain development. Our investments and work are focused on six strategic result areas: early childhood development, school readiness, school success, prevention of child abuse and neglect, strengthening community and organizational capacity.
Are you currently hiring? Yes
If hiring, are you hiring to maintain or increase current staffing levels? Increase
What is a common trait you find in ideal candidates? What’s a common question you ask in the job interview process? “What about our mission resonates with you?” is a common question asked of candidates during the interview process. We want to gauge a candidate’s understanding and appreciation for JWB’s unique mission and awesome responsibility of strengthening children’s lives and safeguarding their futures. Why not choose a career where you make a living and make a difference?
Which of the following are offered by your company?
Stand-up desks
Snacks
Health benefits
Vision benefits
Dental benefits
Ability to work remotely
Flexible scheduling
Paid time off for charitable activities
Off-site company outings
Dress down day or relaxed dress code
Personal days and/or paid time off
Tuition assistance
Does your company offer any tuition assistance or education benefits to employees to support their professional development? Employees enrolled in degree programs may receive some financial assistance and/or release time. JWB reserves the right to limit the number of credit hours of course study that an employee may be realistically enrolled in without reducing productivity. Courses must not interfere with job responsibilities and may be taken during work hours only with the prior approval of the supervisor. Degree programs may be at the undergraduate or graduate level. However, graduate programs must be job related to be considered for reimbursement. Individual courses not leading to a degree must be job related to be considered for reimbursement. All degree programs and/or academic credit courses must be taken at an accredited college or university.
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County employees at the South County Grand Families event.
Does your company have an internship program? No
Are there any other perks offered or employee benefits that stand out? JWB offers comprehensive onboarding, orientation and training/coaching for new hires, along with a virtual buddy mentoring program that matches more seasoned employees with new hires.
The Juvenile Welfare Board believes those who work to give children brighter futures deserve recognition.
Last week we were pleased to publicly announce our fourth and final 2023-2024 KidsFirst Awardee at a surprise presentation by our Chief Executive Officer, Beth Houghton.
An outstanding social service professional who consistently goes above and beyond to put children first, Julie Goodrich is a registered nurse with seven years experience at the Florida Department of Health’s Pinellas Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) team. In that time, Julie has supported and advocated for dozens of new mothers and their families—working with first-time moms through their pregnancies and until their children are two years old, developing enduring relationships.
Jann Gullick, who nominated Julie, described her as “an advocate, encourager, researcher, and educator.”
As we know, babies are biologically programmed to form attachments, and a strong emotional and physical attachment is critical to a child’s development. Julie devotes her whole self to teaching first-time moms techniques to promote this vital nurturing—and models those skills through the supportive and caring relationships she develops with her moms and their babies.
Over the two-plus years she works with them, Julie supports her families through the emotional, social, and physical challenges of becoming parents. She also nurtures the growth and development of their children from birth to age two, preparing these children for successful early childhood learning and beyond.
Julie is a passionate, tireless advocate for her NFP moms and families. She researches resources to help her moms meet not only their immediate but also their long-term needs and goals.
She works very closely with her moms to set goals for their education or employment and is a strong support and cheerleader, guiding them to realize their FULL potential. When Julie’s clients graduate from the NFP program, they have direction in their lives and the tools to successfully nurture healthy children and build strong families.
Julie also selflessly shares her years of experience with new nurses joining the NFP team, offering her knowledge and support. She has been instrumental in updating teaching resources in the past year—and that ultimately benefits all NFP families.
Please join us in congratulating our remarkable KidsFirst Awardee, whom we look forward to celebrating along with three other winners at our KidsFirst Awards Luncheon on April 26th!
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) CEO Beth Houghton was recently named a Boss for Babies.
Bosses for Babies is a statewide initiative of The Children’s Movement of Florida designed to engage business leaders in boosting their workforce and contributing to community prosperity through family-focused practices.
Last year, JWB served 64,000 children and families through investments in 85 quality programs with 50 nonprofit agencies. Plus, we served tens of thousands more through our initiatives and campaigns that address complex issues facing our county’s children: children’s mental health, preventable child deaths, childhood hunger, and grade-level reading. These investments and work are focused in five strategic result areas: Early Childhood Development, School Readiness, School Success, Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, and Strengthening Community.
“I am passionate about improving the lives of children, both because they are the innocent who cannot control their circumstances and because, as a society, improving children’s lives today and into the future is simply a smart investment. And I am proud of the leadership role JWB has taken for babies and their families,” Houghton said of the recognition. “As we know at JWB, 80% of brain growth happens before a child’s third birthday, and what parents and caregivers do in the first 1,000 days has a profound impact on their children’s future learning and development. So, the earlier we invest in children, the greater the return. Investing in high-quality early education yields an impressive economic return of $16 for every dollar invested, leading to higher graduation rates, increased income levels, and reduced social welfare costs.”
One of her favorite messages is, “In Pinellas County, children are 16% of the total population but they represent 100% of our future. The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) understands this and has been investing in the future of children and families in Pinellas County for more than 75 years.” This year, under Houghton’s leadership, JWB will invest a substantial portion of our $106.8M to support families with infants and young children, including the following programs and services:
Infant and Maternal Health
Early Childhood Development (includes screenings and supports)
JWB’s strategic initiatives and public awareness campaigns focused on infants, young children, and their families include:
Turbo Babies Early Childhood Public Awareness Campaign – Turbo Babies embraces the power of play and represents the rapid pace at which children, birth to three, develop and grow. Fueled by JWB, the campaign encourages early connections and nurtures a baby’s drive to learn. It features consistent messaging, coordinated materials, parent education and training, and role modeling to give parents and other caregivers the confidence they need to be their child’s first and best teachers.
Children’s Mental Health Initiative– JWB understands that mental health begins at birth and that early intervention is key for developing healthy coping skills and resiliency. That’s why JWB and our community partners launched the Children’s Mental Health Initiative to foster prevention, early intervention, and treatment with a focus on children ages 4 to 11. A key strategy is to increase access by integrating behavioral health services into the pediatric setting and offering same-day appointments. The initiative also works to increase knowledge among pediatric providers in identifying and treating low-to-moderate mental health conditions and to destigmatize mental health.
Fatherhood Initiative – JWB and our partners are working collectively to bring a focus on fathers and promote father-inclusive community resources to equip dads with the tools they need to shine in their caregiver role. The initiative lifts up the voices of fathers, trains professionals who work with dads, and eliminates barriers and biases for fathers.
Preventable Child Death Initiative – JWB and our partners launched an initiative to prevent the needless deaths of children under age six, tackling the three leading causes: suffocation due to unsafe sleep practices, drowning, and abusive head trauma. JWB’s Sleep Baby Safely campaign features consistent messaging, fact-based tips, coordinated materials, and education to protect babies from sleep-related suffocation every night and every nap. Since its launch, the campaign has reduced the number of infant sleep-related deaths in half and was expanded statewide last year.
JWB has also implemented strategies to build organizational capacity in the birth-to-three space:
0-3 Think Tank – JWB has convened a group of thought leaders and subject matter experts in the birth-to-three space to help inform our work, guide policy, and amplify advocacy efforts.
Workforce Stabilization – JWB will invest $2M in workforce stabilization efforts, plus another $3.2M for cost-of-living adjustments across our funded programs, in response to record inflation and to ensure continuity of quality service delivery. Included are programs focused on infants, young children, and their families.
Grand Families – Working in partnership with our three Community Councils, JWB will host three family-focused events for grand families this spring. Included will be resources and supports for grandparents raising their grandbabies and young grandchildren.
Support for babies and working parents is built into JWB’s culture: JWB employees receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
Paid Parental Leave – Paid parental leave up to six weeks is provided to JWB employees following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster care. The purpose of paid parental leave is to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn or a newly adopted or newly placed child. This policy will run concurrently with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, as applicable.
Breastfeeding-Friendly Workspace – JWB is a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, ensuring accommodations are in place for nursing mothers returning to the office.
The Juvenile Welfare Board believes those who work to give children brighter futures deserve recognition.
This week we were pleased to publicly announce our third 2023-2024 KidsFirst Awardee at a surprise presentation by our Chief Program Officer, Karen Boggess.
An outstanding social service professional who consistently goes above and beyond to put children first, Tomasina Oliver-Jackson is a PEMHS Access Navigator with FSI Connect, which means she is the first point of contact for families seeking services from JWB’s Family Services Initiative.
Her nominator, Courtney Covington, described Tomasina as an experienced Intensive Case Manager who “possesses a tremendous work ethic, demonstrates compassionate understanding for those in need, and always seeks a strength-based solution.”
Promptness, reliability, and just-in-time support is important to struggling families, especially those in crisis. Tomasina is known to answer calls on the first ring, eager to help support and stabilize families.
Confidence, calm, and creativity are also critical skills to have – and Tomasina masters them all. In her role, Tomasina is adept at quickly achieving rapport with families and helping them feel at ease, valued, and heard. This is her gift.
The complexity of some FSI cases might be overwhelming for most. But Tomasina draws from her decades of experience, quickly identifying viable resources and solutions for each case. Her superpower is her ability to find strength-based solutions for families – and to never give up or take “no” for an answer. Instead, her mantra is, “How do I get to YES?!”
Tomasina has a servant’s heart and makes the world a more positive place. She is fully present with those she encounters throughout the day, remembering tiny details and radiating relentless joy and hope.
Please join us in congratulating our remarkable KidsFirst Awardee, whom we look forward to celebrating along with three other winners at our KidsFirst Awards Luncheon on April 26th!
The Juvenile Welfare Board has been part of the fabric of the Pinellas County community for more than 75 years, investing in partnerships, innovation, and advocacy to strengthen the lives of children and families in our county.
On March 7th, 2024, JWB’s Board and Executive Leadership team convened the 10th annual Children’s Summit to gather 200 of Pinellas County’s key influencers, community leaders, and child advocates with local and national experts in the field of children’s mental health.
As a data-driven and evidence-based organization, JWB knows that, from our earliest days, human relationships matter. As children develop and grow, social connections are formed – and because people are social creatures, belonging is a fundamental need. Children who feel connected to their families, schools, neighborhoods, and other meaningful groups develop a sense of belonging, which is associated with mental and physical health benefits. We also know screen time and social media usage among children and teens is increasing. Like many activities, gaming, social media, and screen time come with benefits and risks.
We invited a local and a national expert – Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall of the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, presented by health care partner BayCare Kids – to share with community leaders how belonging boosts kids’ mental health and how screen time and social media can affect it. Their presentations increased attendees’ knowledge with the latest research and compelling data and shared practical tools that youth and families can access to foster healthy conversations and connections.
The Children’s Summit also marked the debut of JWB’s FY23 Annual Report Video, a reflection on JWB’s work and impact last year, where the word “connections” takes many forms.
EARLY CONNECTIONS…because learning and mental health begin at birth. JWB increased our investments in the zero-to-three space with new programming and a campaign focused on nurturing early connections and healthy development for babies.
We continued our work to ensure HEALTHY CONNECTIONS for children – and we heard at the Summit just how important belonging and human connections are for kids.
We invested $17.1M in new funding to give children the best opportunities to learn, thrive, and succeed. These STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS included new, innovative programs to address unmet needs and funding to stabilize the workforce of our programs.
For JWB, 2023 was a year for CREATIVE CONNECTIONS, where we shared our data, expertise, and best practices with others for an even greater impact for children.
JWB exists to meet the most pressing and immediate needs of Pinellas County children. We ensure they are ready to learn, succeed, and thrive in homes, schools, and neighborhoods that are healthy and safe. To learn more, visit www.jwbpinellas.org.
Everyone knows that grandparents are incredibly supportive. From simple acts of kindness, to being there whenever needed, these superstars go above and beyond to ensure their loved ones are always smiling.
Some households don’t stop there, as statistics show that 33% of grandparents in the U.S. are raising their grandchildren.
Maggie Rodriguez, guest host of Bloom, sat down with Community Engagement Manager Yaridis Garcia to discuss ways the Juvenile Welfare Board is bringing support and resources to “grand families” and “extended grand families.”
