Brandon families can now access the expanded Katherine Essrig Children's Board Family Resource Center for support, parenting guidance and children's developmental services. The Children's Board of Hillsborough County plans to dedicate the center on Monday, November 16.
The center is named for Judge Katherine G. Essrig. Osprey Observer reports that she has served more than two decades on the Children's Board of Hillsborough County Board of Directors and has had a judicial career spanning more than 30 years.
Free Services for Local Families
The Children's Board funds the center, which is operated by Lutheran Services Florida, according to the Osprey Observer report. Services include family support, developmental screenings, parenting assistance and community referrals, the outlet reports.
The Children's Board of Hillsborough County says its Family Resource Center programs are free and focus on child development, family self-sufficiency, and health and safety. All Hillsborough County families are encouraged to visit; the county has seven such centers.
A Network of Neighborhood Hubs
Tampa Bay Parenting reports that the centers offer neighborhood-based programming, including developmental playgroups, health screenings, parenting workshops and youth activities such as the Explorers Club.
The Family Resource Centers project is funded by the Children's Board and functions as a collaborative partnership between agencies committed to local families, managed by Lutheran Services Florida, according to LSF Family Focus. Judge Essrig has served as a circuit judge since 1997 after five years as a county court judge, according to her Children's Board biography.
Part of a Countywide Investment
The new Brandon center arrives amid a broader push by the Children's Board to fund family-serving programs across Hillsborough County. The agency's work focuses on ensuring children are healthy and safe, developmentally on track, supported by strong families and ready to learn, Osprey Observer reports, and the outlet states that in 2025 the Children's Board invested $60 million in grants supporting more than 80 nonprofit organizations and 152 programs serving children and families.
Funding and Countywide Context
The Children’s Board’s financial statements for September 30, 2024 and 2023 describe funding nonprofit services and support initiatives, as well as monitoring program performance, according to the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. That description outlines the board’s funding and oversight role; it does not establish whether grant funding rose or fell from one year to the next. For countywide context, U.S. Census Bureau estimates reported by FRED put 13.5 percent of related children ages 5–17 in families in Hillsborough County in poverty in 2024. The estimate covers the county, not Brandon specifically or families using the center.
Public listings have given varying street-address details for the Brandon center, and the dedication's time and public-attendance details have not been published. Families seeking services can check for updates as the November 16 dedication approaches.
