A local Pinellas organization, JWB, is partnering with libraries across the county to provide development and learning resources to families. Their Turbo Babies Pit Crew bags are available for free at 14 Pinellas County libraries. 

Turbo Babies was created to foster early connections, nurture babies’ drive to learn, and support parents. Recently, one of the resources they began offering are Pit Crew bags–a free bag with a book, a toy, and teaching tips for parents. 

Elicia Hinson, the Associate Manager of Marketing for Turbo Babies, says parents are a child’s first teacher. 

“80% of brain growth happens in the first three years of life, and so we want parents to know it’s a really crucial time for that baby’s learning and development,” said Hinson. “We want parents to have those connections with that child, so the child has a trusted caregiver. That makes such a big difference in how a child’s brain forms.”

Peggy Matthes, an assistant youth services librarian at the Barbara S Ponce Library, says these bags have been a huge help for parents. 

“For us, it kind of is a physical resource that we pass on to the parents and then the parents have something that they can kind of go through and get ideas from because everybody’s just like, ‘oh, let’s have the babies; let’s start a family,’ but they don’t come with any instructions,” said Matthes. 

Where you can get a bag

• Clearwater Main Library – 100 N Osceola Ave, Clearwater, FL 33755
• Dunedin Public Library – 223 Douglas Ave, Dunedin, FL 34698
• East Lake Community Library – 4125 E Lake Rd S, Palm Harbor, FL 34685
• Gulf Beaches Public Library – 200 Municipal Dr, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
• Gulfport Public Library – 5501 28th Ave S, Gulfport, FL 33707
• Largo Public Library – 120 Central Park Dr, Largo, FL 33771
• Oldsmar Public Library – 400 St Petersburg Dr E, Oldsmar, FL 34677
• Palm Harbor Public Library – 2330 Nebraska Ave, Palm Harbor, FL 34683
• Pinellas Park Barbara S. Ponce Library – 7770 52nd St N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781
• Safety Harbor Public Library – 101 2nd St N, Safety Harbor, FL 34695
• Seminole Community Library – 9200 113th St N, Seminole, FL 33772
• St. Petersburg President Barack Obama Main Library – 3745 9th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713
• St. Pete Beach Public Library – 365 73rd Ave, St Pete Beach, FL 33706
• Tarpon Springs Public Library – 138 E Lemon Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

For more information on Turbo Babies, visit turbobabies.com.

View the article and listen to the segment as originally published at https://www.wmnf.org/pinellas-organization-turbo-babies-offers-free-learning-bags/.

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is racing into local libraries with a purpose for families. Turbo Babies “Pit Stops” are now open with brain-boosting bags for kids three and younger.

See all of the Pit Stops at Turbobabies.com/Libraries.

View the segment as aired at https://www.fox13news.com/video/fmc-123naioyawiwbni1

JWB Interim CEO Michael Mikurak joined Joe Hamilton on a recent episode of the Impact Catalyst podcast to discuss the free digital safety tools from Parent ProTech that JWB has made available to Pinellas families to protect their children online.

Cyberbullies, human traffickers, and online predators can enter homes 24/7 through a child’s phone, computer, or gaming device. Left unchecked, it’s as risky as leaving a child’s bedroom window open or your front door unlocked.

“There’s a growing gap between what parents know about technology and how their children actually use it,” stated Michael Mikurak, Interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB). “Studies tell us that kids average 8 to 11 hours on their devices each day, and online crimes against children are up as well. That’s why JWB launched a groundbreaking initiative to safeguard children online and equip families with vital support.”

Watch Episode 125 of the Impact Catalyst podcast below, and claim your free Parent ProTech subscription at app.parentprotech.com/jwb.

Impact Catalyst #125 – Mike Mikurak – Juvenile Welfare Board

A routine staff appreciation event at Freedom Lake Park shifted into a moment of recognition April 24 when the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County honored Gena Calisch with the first KidsFirst Cooperman-Bogue Award of 2026.

Calisch, a Family Support Specialist with Healthy Families Pinellas, has spent more than a decade working directly with parents in their homes, helping them build safer environments, strengthen parenting skills and support healthy child development. The award recognizes frontline professionals whose work creates lasting impact for children and families across the county.

Colleagues cheered as Calisch was surprised during the National Home Visiting Week celebration. The recognition places her among a select group of professionals acknowledged for going beyond traditional service delivery to build trust and stability within families.

“I’m incredibly honored and honestly a little overwhelmed,” Calisch said in a prepared statement. “This work is about the families and the children we serve every day. Being able to walk alongside them as they grow stronger and more confident is the greatest reward.”

Calisch’s role centers on one-on-one engagement with families, often in complex or high-stress environments. From a service delivery perspective, home visiting programs operate at the intersection of prevention and capacity building. They are designed not only to respond to immediate needs but to shift long-term outcomes by equipping parents with tools, knowledge and confidence.

Her colleagues say her impact extends well beyond scheduled visits. Program Manager Christy Robinson, who nominated Calisch, described her as a consistent presence for families navigating challenges.

“She builds trust with families, helps them find their voice and gives them the tools to succeed,” Robinson said. “The impact she makes can be seen in stronger families and brighter futures for children in Pinellas County.”

Within Healthy Families Pinellas, Calisch mentors new home visitors, leads parent support groups and helps colleagues manage the emotional demands of working in intensive family support settings. That peer leadership function is often less visible but remains critical to program continuity and staff retention in high-touch service environments.

JWB Interim CEO Michael Mikurak said the award reflects the broader importance of frontline professionals in shaping community outcomes.

“Professionals like Gena are the reason our community is stronger,” Mikurak said. “She represents the very best of what it means to put children first, doing the hard, meaningful work every day, often without recognition.”

The KidsFirst Cooperman-Bogue Award has been presented for more than 30 years. It is named after JWB founders Leonard Cooperman and Juvenile Judge Lincoln C. Bogue, who helped establish the organization through legislation in 1945. The recognition highlights individuals whose work aligns with JWB’s long-standing focus on early childhood development, abuse prevention and family stability.

Calisch is the first of four honorees to be named this year. Additional recipients will be announced in the coming months and recognized at the organization’s 80th Anniversary KidsFirst Awards Luncheon, scheduled for Oct. 23 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum. Each honoree receives a $1,000 award.

Established by voter referendum in 1946, the organization remains one of the only entities of its kind in the country, funded through a dedicated property tax. Today, JWB invests more than $128 million annually in programs that serve tens of thousands of children and families.

Programs like Healthy Families Pinellas reflect a preventive model that aims to reduce long-term system strain by intervening early and consistently.

More information about the Juvenile Welfare Board and its programs is available at JWBPinellas.org.

Read the article as originally published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/juvenile-welfare-board-honors-home-visitor–gena-calisch/

April is Home Visiting Month, highlighting how home visitors strengthen families — supporting parent and child health and helping prevent child abuse. April 20–24 is National Home Visiting Week, and the Juvenile Welfare Board is and celebrating the impact home visitors make every day.

Home Visiting Month coincides with National Child Abuse Prevention Month. That’s intentional — underscoring home visiting as a proactive, non-judgmental way to prevent crises. Home visiting professionals work alongside families to build confidence and self-sufficiency. Utilizing a variety of research-based models, they strengthen parenting skills, share early childhood development and school-readiness best practices, help children build resilience and life skills, and connect families to support.

JWB is highlighting two JWB-funded programs serving Pinellas families:

• Truancy Intervention Prevention Services (TIPS): The TIPS program offered by Bethel Community Foundation is a prevention-based model that serves youth ages 8-17 who face school-related challenges, including habitual truancy and other unmanageable behaviors. Through personalized case management and support services, including home visits, TIPS helps families navigate these challenges with dignity and respect.

• Family Center on Deafness (FCD): FCD is a nonprofit providing services specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) residents of Pinellas County. They offer specialized services and staff trained in American Sign Language and experienced working with the D/HH population. FCD’s programs and services are geared toward empowering D/HH individuals and their parents/guardians/households; they work with the entire family. Programming includes parent and infant activities (birth-5); after-school, full-day, and summer camp programming for elementary, middle, and high school students; and enrichment and leadership programming. Additional after-school support for school-age youth is provided through individual tutoring, group tutoring, literacy activities, and sign language instruction. These programs are designed to positively impact youth participants’ self-esteem and strengthen their learning capabilities.

Read the article as originally published at https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_55d2327f-5695-417b-b460-cfb07ad72733.html

Fox 13 News covered the Turbo Babies’ drive to deliver Pit Crew bags to Pinellas County libraries for National Library Week (April 19-25). Bags filled with brain-building activity items and Turbo Tips are available in English and Spanish for 0 to 1-year-olds, 1- to 2-year-olds, and 2- to 3-year-olds for free at your local library. Find your nearest Pit Stop here: Turbobabies.com/Libraries

Watch the segment in its entirety below:

Free baby bags will be available at libraries across Pinellas County in honor of National Library Week.

The county’s Juvenile Welfare Board partnered with the Public Library Cooperative to offer families “pit crew” bags for babies under three years old.

The free bags include books, toys, and brain-boosting activities.

The stops will be available at the following locations:

• Clearwater Main Library – 100 N Osceola Ave, Clearwater, FL 33755
• Dunedin Public Library – 223 Douglas Ave, Dunedin, FL 34698
• East Lake Community Library – 4125 E Lake Rd S, Palm Harbor, FL 34685
• Gulf Beaches Public Library – 200 Municipal Dr, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
• Gulfport Public Library – 5501 28th Ave S, Gulfport, FL 33707
• Largo Public Library – 120 Central Park Dr, Largo, FL 33771
• Oldsmar Public Library – 400 St Petersburg Dr E, Oldsmar, FL 34677
• Palm Harbor Public Library – 2330 Nebraska Ave, Palm Harbor, FL 34683
• Pinellas Park Barbara S. Ponce Library – 7770 52nd St N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781
• Safety Harbor Public Library – 101 2nd St N, Safety Harbor, FL 34695
• Seminole Community Library – 9200 113th St N, Seminole, FL 33772
• St. Petersburg President Barack Obama Main Library – 3745 9th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713
• St. Pete Beach Public Library – 365 73rd Ave, St Pete Beach, FL 33706
• Tarpon Springs Public Library – 138 E Lemon Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

Leaders say the early years of a child’s life are the most important in their development.

“Zero to three is the most important part of their life because that’s when their brain grows,” JWB Interim CEO Mike Mikurak said. “That’s when 80% of whatever is going to happen for them is happening. And the more we nurture them in that period of time, the better they’ll be able to cope and become part of the community.”

“In libraries, we promote play, read, sing, write,” St. Petersburg Library System Librarian Mandy Morris said. “These are the same types of things that Turbo Babies is promoting.”

View the segment as originally published at https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/turbo-babies-pit-stops-available-at-pinellas-county-libraries/amp/