If you are a family in need, NWFHealth Connects is here for you!

Health care, food assistance, employment services, and more — all in one place.

Click here and enter your zip code to find the support you deserve.

To apply for public benefits such as food assistance, cash, and medical assistance visit the Department of Children and Families Website: MyACCESS

Early Learning Coalitions- Apply for childcare assistance and Voluntary Pre-K:

• Circuit 2: https://elcbigbend.org/community/ccrr/
• Circuit 14: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/early-learning/
• Escambia County: https://elcescambia.org/
• Okaloosa and Walton County: https://www.elc-ec.org/
• Santa Rosa County: https://www.elcsantarosa.org/
• Statewide Early Learning Resources: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/early-learning/

Additional Resources for Kinship Families: https://www.grandfamilies.org/

Leon County: Grandparents as Parents Support Group: https://www.tallahasseeseniorfoundation.org/gap/

Grandparents as Parents (GaP) is a program for grandparents who are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren and offers support groups, informational luncheons, access to community agencies, legal services and health screenings plus social activities for the whole grand-family. GaP meets virtually and in-person.
For more information or to register to attend, contact:
[email protected] or 850-891-4027 or [email protected] or 850-891-4009

Trainings will be held virtually in CST time.  Register: [email protected]

• February 4^th 9:00am-12:00pm
• March 9^th 6:oopm-9:00pm
• May 5^th 6:00pm-9:00pm
• June 13^th 5:00pm-8:00pm
• August 31^st 6:00pm-9:00pm
• July 10^th 6:00pm-9:00pm
• September 18^th 6:00pm-9:00pm
• October 3^rd 6:00pm-9:00pm

• Partnering with Families: Jamie G. Averett & Daniel Burns | Florida Institute for Child Welfare (video: 1 hour)
• Conditions for Return for Foster Parents (video: 1.5 hours)
• Parent Substance Misuse and Child Welfare (video: 1.5 hours)
• Talking Trauma with Young Children (video: 1 hour)
• FDLRS Parent Webinars
• Action 4 Child Protection
• National Children’s Advocacy Center
• Is there something else going on with our kids? How in utero and post-utero trauma impacts the brain, relationships, and learning
  • Passcode: WF!1c7F
• Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting Support Webinar
  • This 90-minute webi­nar focus­es on evi­dence-based, research-informed strate­gies and high­lights ways to help young par­ents who are tend­ing to their own devel­op­men­tal needs while in fos­ter care.

Favorite Books:

• The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis
• The Connected Parent by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls
• The Connected Therapist by Marti Smith
• The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kol
• From Fear to Love by B. Bryan Post
• The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz
• The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry
• Brainstorm by Daniel J Siegel

Podcasts:

• Empowered to Connect Podcast
• The TBRI Podcast

Other Reading Material:

• What Parents Need to Know about Sexual Abuse
• Meaningful Family Time (visitation guide: 30 mins)
• Parents With Trauma History (15 mins)