TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County works to help local children and their families live their best lives, but that mission is never easy. Now the board has a new leader charged with making it all happen. Rebecca Bacon is no stranger to the children’s board; she’s been there for 16…
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Community Partners,
January provided valuable opportunities to engage with stakeholders and community members and highlight our funded programs. Paula Scott and I traveled to Tallahassee to collaborate with our statewide alliance, meet with legislators, and participate in Hillsborough Day. We advocated on behalf of children and families in our County and proudly shared materials regarding our collective impact.
Locally, the CBHC team continued outreach efforts, including participation in the Martin Luther King Day parade which reflected the strong sense of community we are proud to support.
At the January board meeting, Maria Negron presented key demographic and outcome data from the 2025 contract year. Children’s Board–funded programs served more than 56,000 participants, with an aggregate service reach exceeding 166,000, which includes program and conference center guests. Overall, 78% of measured outcomes met or exceeded benchmark targets, and 12 new programs were implemented for a total of 92.
Highlights from 2025 include:
· Healthy and Safe: 96% of families experienced safer housing
· Developmentally on Track: 90% of children demonstrated improved social-emotional competence
· Ready to Learn and Succeed: 94% of children and youth reported increased educational aspirations
· Family Support: 95% of parents and caregivers were involved in their child’s development, education, and school.
We look forward to sharing full details in our 2025 annual report. I extend my sincere appreciation to our Program, Fiscal, and Research teams for their partnership with funded agencies, as well as to our funded partners whose dedication to high-quality, engaging, and compassionate services makes these outcomes possible.
Rebecca
