When I think of food donations - my mind always goes right to the holidays, will families have…read moreenough food to enjoy and make merry the seasons. And it goes without saying, that applies to toy donations as well - all little boys and little girls should have toys. Behind the county Meals on Wheels was another charitable donation center - Manatee Food Bank and as I pulled up, a friendly fellow greeted me immediately, directed me where to park and magically appeared with a hand drawn forklift within two shakes of a cat's tail. (I bought some live cattail plants last week, they're on my mind apparently) I can't say that I can offer you some food bank and pantry tips, I'd love to say to cut a check in the firm of financial donations over canned goods - but I just can not do that. There's just too much corruption today - I'm not pointing the dirty end of the stick at anyone's outreach - but UNISEF got busted I believe and they're one of the biggest. Canned goods, toys and volunteering - always pay it forward - it feels good to give.

Renamed a few years ago, this is a large open to the public (though not free) sports center. There…read moreare many tennis courts, and tennis classes are offered very small children to adults. The tennis instructors for the children Saturday morning classes are very good with the children, and turn the instruction into games. There is an over sized Olympic diving pool, workout facilities, and a multitude of other rooms. They offer after school programs and summer camps as well. Swimming lessons by age group are another offering. The parking lot is often too small for the number of cars here, and you will see quite a bit of parking on the street.

I'm here twice a week for volleyball practice and the place is always busy, with swimmers, daycare…read moreand ect. Even in the rush the front desk always manages to greet everyone who comes in and is very helpful.

I was impressed by this miniature community railroad which covers a good amount of area and goes…read morethrough some different land features. Largo Central Park itself is beautiful and beautifully laid out. We were happy to visit during the month of December 2019. This is a super cute small scale railroad which is suitable for kids ages 1 +. During the first weekend of the month they offer complimentary rides on both Saturday and Sunday. The rides are from 10am-4pm and be prepared to wait in line. Although we arrived there shortly after 10am there was still a fairly fast moving but lengthy line that made me wonder how it would be if you arrived before 10am. There were two trains in operation the day we went so this made the process faster. Upon arrival you are asked to fill out and sign a waiver for you and your family that is taking part in the ride that absolves the "railroad company" of any liability if you are injured. Then you are given a punch card with the date you attended punched out on it. You are allowed to rode once on either day of the first full weekend of the month. For December they had a Santa and Mrs. Claus sitting on a bench under the covered portion of the outdoor "station" as you meandered through the line. You could take a complimentary picture with the duo and they handed out candy canes to the little ones. Everyone that worked there was so nice as well! When you arrive We chose to go on a Sunday in December and were not disappointed. Our daughter is train/ride obsessed and loved this. She enjoyed looking at all the holiday decor and zooming past the water feature as well as going in the tunnel. It was fun and a cute activity for her to partake in. She loved pointing out the other train go by as we whizzed past and she loves going in the tunnel. She had a permasmile the entire time. They even offer a Polar Express Ride on select evenings during the holiday season where all the decorations are illuminated and I believe refreshments are included for a fee. If our daughter had a later bedtime we would have bought tickets for this but it will have to wait. After going on the train we checked out different aspects of the park such as their massive Christmas tree (daughter is obsessed) as well as their awesome playground area which was the coolest that I have been to in awhile. There were lots of features for a variety of ages! Parking for the railroad is the same parking as the park.

We have used Childcare of Brandon for years Their VPK…read moreprogram is excellent and they are flexible with the various charter schools. The staff have always treated our children like their own.

We have been going to childcare of Brandon since May and my daughter loves it. Ms Lourdes and Ms…read moreVanessa have been the most amazing teacher and I feel like my 1 year old is learning so much. The front desk staff is amazing and really makes you feel like family. I am so happy I chose this facility for my childcare needs! I have checked out other facilities in the area and Brandon was not only the most impressive, but also the most afforadable.

Took my donations with a smile. Will donate there again. They do great work in the community.read more

Great resource for the community and children in Hillsborough county. I have been able to take…read moreadvantage of the free classes for my family in many areas from Lego robotics, pottery, painting, puppet shows, BBQ's and even CPR training, and many of the family days. You must provided your resident ID to get a free membership card and while your use is tracked it's to help provide the community with statistics on what is needed in the area . Most free classes are sponsored by BabyBungalow & The Children's Board. Designated citizenship, English as a second language, computer and painting classes.. CPR & First aid, babysitting, car seat safety certifications also. 0-5 play groups for music, art, enrichment and developmental milestones.

We've had such a wonderful experience at La Petite Academy! One of the things I appreciate most is…read moretheir flexibility -- especially thanks to Ms. Gina, who is always understanding and willing to work with our family's needs. The teachers are amazing, and I want to give a special mention to Miss Jacqui and Miss Savannah who are so caring, patient, and truly dedicated to the children. Before coming here, my daughter attended another daycare in the area. While I truly liked the teachers there too, I had to make a change because they weren't flexible enough with my schedule and the facility wasn't as well maintained as La Petite. The facility here is beautiful, clean, and very well cared for. I love how thoughtfully they organize the children's days with a balance of learning, play, and creativity. My daughter especially enjoys the meals they serve -- she looks forward to them every day! It's such a relief as a parent to know that your child is in a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment. We're so grateful for the entire team here!

My Daughter Loves Her Teachers So Much I'd Definitely Recommend La Petite…read more I Want To Give A Huge Shout Out To The Infant , Toddlers And Two's Teachers For Everything They Do For The My Daughter And Love To Know She's Always In Good Hands Even In The Mornings When She Can Be A little Dramatic Sometimes Thank You Ms . Rebecca - Ms Yinet - Ms Alicia - Ms Lyric - Ms Erica - Ms Icesis

Not only is this a great place for children, it is a wonderful place to work as well. The school…read moreuses a nationally recognized curriculum and provides mentorship at all levels of the child care profession. Over the 7.5 years that I worked there, I enjoyed ongoing training, flexibility and support as I experienced significant life challenges, and paid educational opportunities that prepared me to take on new and exciting roles. Benefits and pay are competitive, and the owners and staff are like a family.

My children have loved attending the Village year round since 2014. Couldn't imagine sending the…read morekids elsewhere with all the fun activities and learning that occurs at the Village!

We were connected with Family Creations through a consultant. Unfortunately, after 8 weeks our…read morefirst match was disrupted. During that time, Kiah was exceptionally kind and compassionate and walked with us through really hard days. A few months later, we were matched with our child through the Safe Haven program and family creations. We are so thankful for the safe haven program, as it provided a way for our birth mother to choose adoption and have the support that she needed from the staff at FC. Kirk was phenomenal during that time and made sure our son was safe and cared for until placement with us. Kiah worked diligently to get our paperwork completed to travel home, despite numerous challenges. We are so thankful for the staff at FC and the safe haven program, all of which brought our son into our lives! I have seen the care and compassion that they have for their birth mothers and we feel so confident that our sons birth mother will continue to have the support and care that she needs. We are so thankful for this agency!

We entered into an adoption agreement with Family Creations Adoptions and trusted that the…read moresituation presented to us had been appropriately vetted. We were matched with an expectant mother and were told that proof of pregnancy had been obtained. Based on that representation, we paid the required fees and traveled to Florida in preparation for the birth. Over time, concerns began to arise. We were later informed by the agency that this situation involved a scam. Based on our experience, it does not appear that ongoing verification efforts were made throughout the month, such as obtaining updated medical records or independent confirmation from a provider. After this was brought to light, communication from the agency became extremely limited, and our requests for documentation and clarification regarding what verification steps were taken have not been fulfilled. We are currently working with law enforcement due to the financial impact and the interstate nature of this situation. We strongly encourage any prospective adoptive families to ask detailed questions about an agency's verification process, including how often medical confirmation is obtained and what safeguards are in place to prevent situations like this. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend this agency and encourage others to proceed with caution.