READY FOR KINDERGARTEN.
READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD.
Thrive by Five Tampa Bay is a cross-sector network dedicated to promoting the equitable development and lifelong success of children aged 0-5. We bring together caregivers, agencies, businesses, and civic officials to amplify and accelerate access to services and resources for families. Our focus is on the “whole child” ideology, encompassing their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being.
Welcome to Thrive by Five Tampa Bay
We aim to raise awareness and meet children and families where they are, allocating resources and opportunities as needed to create equal outcomes for all community members.
Through collective impact and initiatives like Family Friendly Tampa Bay, Thrive by Five Connects, our resource and referral tool, and our Early Literacy Resource Guides, we connect families to partner organization resources and work to fill gaps in access to services in Tampa Bay.
Our vision is for every child in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties to enter kindergarten prepared to thrive in school and in life. Our mission is to mobilize all parts of our community to create equitable opportunities for young children to thrive by working collaboratively to achieve 65% kindergarten readiness by 2030, as measured by FDOE scores.
Ready for a Better Future, Ready for the World.
Impact
Partner Organizations in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties
Service Referrals to Families
Awarded Family Friendly Employers
Early Literacy Resource Guides Distributed
Thank you to our funders and sponsors
Setting children up for a strong start
A strong early childhood system ensures the youngest of Tampa Bay are ready to thrive in school — cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally — by the time they reach kindergarten.
There is a significant and overwhelming volume of research and evidence showing over and over again that young children benefit from being in high-quality early childhood settings.
Over 90% of our lifetime’s brain development occurs from birth to the start of kindergarten, demonstrating the critical nature of this time period in a person’s life for building the foundation for skilled thinking, behaviors, and emotional well-being. It is in these vital foundational years that our youngest neighbors develop linguistic, cognitive, social, emotional, and regulatory skills that are linked to vital skills and functions later in life.
Unfortunately, too many young children from low-income and traditionally underserved communities do not have access to the settings and resources that will help them develop these skills to the maximum of their ability.
That’s where Thrive by Five Tampa Bay comes in.
Be Part of The Solution
Thrive by Five Tampa Bay is powered by people who care about giving children access to opportunities. It’s easy to get involved at any level. No experience is required. Your perspective and your voice are powerful all on their own.
Parents & Caregivers
Community Partners
Businesses
We can do this — together.
Thrive by Five fosters highly functioning countywide collaboration. We engage a wide-reaching network that proactively connects families and caregivers with the Tampa Bay’s many available resources.
To help serve our children and their parents and caregivers, our Vision and Leadership Councils work together to guide Thrive by Five’s strategy and efforts. We lean on a diverse set of stakeholders, partners, and subject matter experts who collaborate and help align resources across Tampa Bay.
Join our
cross-sector
network
Your support can make a significant difference in nurturing the potential of children aged 0-5 in our community. Fill out the form below to help us promote equitable development and access to vital resources. Let’s create a brighter future, one child at a time.
Learn More About Thrive by Five Tampa Bay
Complete the form below to connect and learn more about Thrive by Five Tampa Bay.
In partnership with the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Business Alliance for Early Learning, this Early Literacy Guide is for all families across the state of Florida. Our Early Literacy Guide provides information and quick links to free options for online literacy activities, resources for you as a parent, digital books, and physical books. You can also access adult literacy and bilingual resources in both the Florida Early Literacy Guide and the Hillsborough Early Literacy Guide. Check it out here https://tb5tb.org/early-literacy-resource-guide/florida/
Last week, Thrive by Five hosted our annual Vision Council meeting, sharing our accomplishments in 2025 including our Early Literacy Guides & Literacy Partnership project, Thrive by Five Connects, and Family Friendly Tampa Bay. We analyzed community-wide metrics and explored strategic plans to address these gaps. A huge thank you to our very own Dr. James McHale, Director of the Family Study Center at USF, for sharing his knowledge on early brain development. Lastly, our council looked into 2026 objectives and how to make this year even more impactful!
From a great conversation to a tangible resource!
Our meeting with Healthy Families blossomed into an early learning tips postcard through our pilot program Healthy Starts & Thriving Futures, designed to help caregivers support children’s growth and development.
We were proud to take it one step further by producing a Spanish-language version to better serve Spanish-speaking families.
Thrive by Five and Healthy Families started our week off strong by creating a pilot called Healthy Starts & Thriving Futures! This will be a literacy program that will begin in 2026!
We were fortunate enough to use @communityfoundationtb new Flex Space to accommodate all the wonderful members who attended and provided helpful input!
We are so excited for this launch- stay tuned for more updates!
As the 2025 Family Friendly Business of the Year Awardee, Power Design has selected Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital as the recipient of the CFTB grant of $1,000. Thank you, Community Foundation Tampa Bay, for your support of this award!
Learn more Today
Have questions about early childhood education or our work? Fill out the form or contact us. We’re here to support and guide you in creating a brighter future for every child in Tampa Bay.