Single Parent Series – Resources in Bay County - Part 3

BAY COUNTY, FL (This is part 3 of the 3 part series on Bay County Coastal. Go here for Part 1 & 2. https://baycountycoastal.com/category/life-faith )

Today, most of us know a single parent facing the challenges of schedules, rising costs and transportation to name a few. We are digging deeper in to resources for the single parent.

The definition we are using for single parent is from the website: Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development “Single parent families are comprised of a parent/caregiver and one or more dependent children without the presence and support of a spouse or adult partner who is sharing the responsibility of parenting.”

Bay County has many resources for parents. While this is a list of services you might access for support it is not a recommendation or endorsement of agencies listed by Bay County Coastal.

Social Services

• Family Service Agency of Bay County https://familyserviceagencypc.org/
Assistance with diapers, clothing, cleaning supplies, work boots, linens, and Christmas

for those with children 18 and under.

For those seeking to help Bay County they need donations and this month specifically cleaning supplies – check their website for more information.

• Bay County Service Center/Florida DCF https://www.myflfamilies.com/bay-county-service-center

Child Care https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/child-family/child-care

This page offers a list of child care agencies in Bay County

• Life Management Center https://lmccares.org/

They offer a resource they call, Healthy Families Bay https://lmccares.org/services/healthy-families/ This service “offers the Healthy Families Positive Parenting Program in Bay County. Healthy Families Florida (HFF) is a nationally accredited, community based, voluntary home visitation program that promotes positive parent-child relationships, and child health and development. Families are also linked to a medical provider and other family support services they need during their participation in HFF.”

Parents struggling with relating with children or seeking help for children who are struggling with displacement, divorce or relationships, for example, may want to check this out.

• Bay District Schools https://www.bay.k12.fl.us/bay-county-resources
They have put together a list of resources covering a wide range of needs parents may encounter. They do not recommend or endorse these resources but rather provided a list to help parents find resources in areas such as: drug & alcohol, autism, housing, food banks, mental health and support groups, to name a few. The list is not exhaustive but it does provide multiple resources under each heading.

• Emerald Coast – Panama City https://chsfl.org/locations/big-bend-panama-city/#services

Parent resources include: support for parents, help with children with a development issue, counseling. Read more at the link above.

Legal issues

• Custody Change - https://www.custodyxchange.com/locations/usa/florida/resources.php

Great resource for help in determining a schedule for shared parenting, dealing with holidays, expense sharing and tracking, preparing for court.

• Parental Rights Foundation https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/legal/

This is a Christian based organization that has a list of agencies who might support you in a struggle with a government agency.

• Panama City Family Law - https://www.thevirgalawfirm.com/panama-city-family-law/#~1J9d407

Resource for legal aid in divorce or child advocacy.

• Legal Services of North Florida - https://www.lsnf.org/children/

Offering free services for needy children, children in crisis and in the foster care program.

• Justia Lawyers - Bay County Family Legal Aid & Pro Bono Services
https://www.justia.com/lawyers/family-law/florida/bay-county/legal-aid-and-pro-bono-services

A local agency offering services in Calloway, Fountain, Lynn Haven, Mexico Beach, Panama City, Panama City Beach, and Youngstown.

Bay County has several lawyers and agencies who focus on family and children. Rather than list the individual legal practices and their website we recommend you search for; “Legal advice for families in Bay County Florida”