Community Resources
Abuse Reporting
For information on child abuse reporting, please visit the My Florida Families.
Child Care
Why Choosing Quality Child Care Matters
Choosing child care is an important decision. Good child care arrangements can improve the daily lives of children and parents. In addition, children in high quality care have higher levels of success when they enter school. Yet, it can be difficult and confusing to know what to look for in a program. What exactly is quality child care? “The Daily Parent,” a newsletter for working parents from “Child Care Aware” has recommendations of what to look for when choosing a childcare setting for your child. LEARN MORE >
Child Safety
Child Safety Alert: Shaken Baby Syndrome is a severe form of head injury that occurs when a baby is shaken forcibly enough to cause the baby’s brain to rebound (bounce) against his or her skull. This rebounding may cause bruising, swelling, and bleeding (intracerebral hemorrhage) of the brain, which may lead to permanent, severe brain damage or death.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the diagnosis given for the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, which includes an autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the symptoms or illnesses the infant had prior to dying and any other pertinent medical history.
One of the easiest ways to lower the risk of SIDS is to put your baby on his or her back to sleep. Prior to 1992, doctors told mothers to place babies on their stomachs to sleep. Research now shows that fewer babies die of SIDS when they sleep on their backs
Community Resource Links
- United Way Marion County 211
- Florida Guardian ad Litem Program
- FL Department of Education
- City of Ocala
- Marion County, FL
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Service
- Marion County Sheriff
- Marion County Public Library
- Heart of Florida Health Center
- Best Outcomes Resource Guide
- DCF Childcare Search