Kathie Stamps contributing writer
Whether you donate time, talent or treasure, nonprofits appreciate your contributions. A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay is certainly no exception. “We are so grateful for the incredible generosity of our community,” said CEO Brad Gregory. “Every success story at A Kid’s Place is only possible because people come together: volunteers, donors, partners and neighbors, each playing their part to make a difference.”
Based in Brandon, A Kid’s Place provides residential services for up to 60 children at a time in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
Education center at A Kid’s Place
Clothing donations
These are kids from newborns to their early 20s who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment, and they’re not able to be placed with relatives at the time.
Not a daycare or an institutional facility and far more than a group home, AKP was founded in 2009 as a unique program supporting the foster care system. The organization doesn’t handle adoptions or long-term placements. What they do is keep brothers and sisters together in a home-like environment. AKP comprises five homes on its 12-acre property. Some of the staff members are house parents who live there around the clock. Others collaborate with case managers and child welfare agencies or work on an individualized care plan for each child’s medical and emotional wellbeing, tailor academic plans to keep their education going and growing, and plan outings and birthday parties to help the kids create happy core memories.
One of five residential homes located at A Kid’s Place
A residential room at A Kid’s Place
AKP has served more than 1,700 children and over 750 families since opening its doors. Samantha Mellen, development director, has been with AKP for 13 of its 16 years. “At A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay, we believe every child deserves a safe, stable and nurturing home,” she said. “Our focus is on creating a safe, nurturing space during one of the hardest moments in their lives. “
Every day, children enter the foster care system. Many of those who arrive at A Kid’s Place do so with nothing but the clothes on their back. The ones who do have belongings carry them in garbage bags. “We do everything we can to provide not just the basics, but a true sense of home, healing and hope,” Mellen said.
A playground located at A Kid’s Place
Within AKP’s safe and structured environment, helping kids heal from what they have endured can help prevent a future generation of abuse, neglect or abandonment.
“I think A Kid’s Place is incredibly important to our community because it fills a gap that most people don’t even realize exists,” Mellen said. “When children are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, it’s a really scary and uncertain time, and it’s even harder when siblings are separated.”
Community members help out in various ways, by going grocery shopping (AKP goes through 75 boxes of cereal a week), hosting a clothing drive or fundraiser, attending an event or spreading the word.
“It truly takes all of us working hand in hand to give these children the safety, love and hope they deserve,” Gregory said.
“When our community unites around a common purpose, we can change lives.”
Rick Tauceda Photos
A Kid’s Place in Brandon
A Kid’s Place will soon break ground on a new activity center to serve as a hub for learning, healing, recreation and connection. The space will house arts and crafts, a gym, pool, music lab and all kinds of educational spaces for mentors, teachers and tutors to help the kids at A Kid’s Place thrive in the moment and in the future.
In the meantime, tours are available for community members wanting to learn more about the campus and volunteer opportunities. Upcoming events include A Kid’s Place Golf Classic, presented by Homes by WestBay, Oct. 20 at Avila Golf and Country Club, and the Fostering Hope Gala on Feb. 14, 2026. For details, visit www.akidsplacetb.org/.
Mellen said, “When we support our most vulnerable children, we’re building a stronger, more compassionate community for everyone.”
To learn more about A Kid’s Place, call 813-381-3839, visit www.akidsplacetb.org/ or email welcome@akidsplacetb.org/.