Tykes & Teens

12/25/2025

✨ Happy Holidays from all of us at Tykes & Teens! ✨

As we reflect on this past year, our hearts are full of gratitude. Because of your generosity, countless children and families across the Treasure Coast received the mental health support they needed to heal, grow, and blossom.

From every therapy session made possible to every walk-in clinic visit supported, your giving truly made a difference. Together, we planted seeds of hope that will bloom for years to come.

Thank you for standing with us, believing in our mission, and helping children thrive. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, peaceful holiday season.

12/24/2025

🎄 ’Tis the Season to Be Jolly 🎄

A truly wonderful time was had by all at our Tykes & Teens staff Holiday Party! Laughter, joy, and holiday spirit filled the room - and the cookie table! Huge thanks to our fantastic cookie bake-off celebrity judges: Sean Boyle (Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie), Janet Mafucci (Impact100 St. Lucie), and Ellie Gundrania (The Community Foundation of Martin & St. Lucie).

This year’s Ugly Sweater Contest was nothing short of EPIC … a perfect reminder that even those who do the hardest work know how to have fun together.

Most of all, we are profoundly grateful for each and every member of our Tykes & Teens family. You show up every day with compassion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to children and families who need us most.

May this Holiday season restore what you so generously pour out. May your hearts be full, your spirits renewed, and may you see the beautiful ways the seeds you plant every day continue to blossom.

🎄Merry Christmas and warm holiday wishes to the very best team 🎄

12/23/2025

12/18/2025

The recent WGN report highlights what too many families are facing today - the rising cost of pediatric mental health care is placing an overwhelming strain on families across the country. It may be a news report from Chicago, but it’s no different here in Florida. It’s a national crisis.

At Tykes & Teens, we believe that no child should ever be turned away due to an inability to pay. For 30 years, we have proudly provided world-class mental health services to children and teens in our community - because access to care should never depend on a family’s financial situation.

That’s why we:
✨ Accept insurance and Medicare
✨ Work with families through a sliding scale fee
✨ Ensure every child has access to the care they need.

We also know that early intervention matters. Our Infant Mental Health Program (ages 0–5) and Mental Health Consultation services support children, families, and caregivers during the most critical years of development.

💙 With enormous gratitude to our sponsors and donors, whose generosity makes this mission possible, we continue to stand in the gap for children and families - today and for generations to come.

Because every child deserves the chance to blossom, no matter the cost.

Pediatric mental health care costs straining families: New data shows the surge in mental health service needs for kids is taxing parents and the healthcare system. Details: https://wgntv.com/news/medical-watch/pediatric-mental-health-care-costs-straining-families/

12/18/2025

At Tykes & Teens, we know that healing begins with understanding. That’s why we provide trauma-informed care training and coaching to help organizations recognize the impact of trauma and respond with compassion.

Our evidence-based programs strengthen the ability of schools, healthcare providers, law enforcement, youth programs, and social service agencies to support individuals who have experienced trauma.

Together, we’re creating safer, more supportive communities where every child has the opportunity to blossom.

12/16/2025

Tykes & Teens is launching a Community Trauma-Informed Care Training Series to support you and the work you do!
Who It’s For:
• New hires at agencies with past TIC training
• Anyone needing a refresher (2+ years)
• Professionals who haven’t taken our series yet
Why Join:
This training gives you practical skills to create safer spaces, strengthen resiliency, and make life and work feel less overwhelming.
Ideal for:
Educators • Counselors • Caregivers • Early childcare • Healthcare • Public safety • Faith-based staff • Human/public service professionals
How to Join:
• Morning or afternoon session options
• Limited space—registration required
• Sign up using the link https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=H5v9Sm5-TUuuihLQCgMPFaTKyTzBkpNMlxUcLFnuqhJUN0VLTlFKQTkxVzhUU0xaSDZQUkVJVlAxWi4u&route=shorturl or QR code in the flyer

Sponsored by Children's Services Council of St. Lucie County

12/16/2025

All our offices will be closed tomorrow from 9-11am as our team gets together to celebrate and reflect on this past year of helping children blossom in our communities.

12/15/2025

In just ten years, the su***de rate for children ages 10–14 has doubled.

This reality is heartbreaking, and it’s happening right here in our communities.

Kids are facing more pressure, more isolation, and fewer places to turn. The need for timely, expert mental health care has never been greater.

At Tykes & Teens, we’re stepping into the void to ensure children and families have somewhere to go for hope, healing, and connection.

Every child deserves the chance to blossom.

Tykes and Teens is here for you - we are just a call away - 772.220.3439

12/11/2025

When Angelina first came to Tykes & Teens, she was just 3 years old spirited but struggling. Her home was filled with love, but also tension. Her mom, overwhelmed and facing postpartum depression, was doing her best to hold everything together.

She knew something had to change. So she reached out.

Through our Infant Mental Health program, healing began. Therapy built stronger bonds between Angelina and her brother. Her mom found clarity, support, and the confidence to meet her children’s needs with empathy and care.

Over time, the chaos softened. The family began to thrive.

The early years matter. And with the right support, families like Angelina’s blossom.

12/08/2025

🌿 Celebrating a True Champion for Our Youngest Children: Elizabeth Appleton 🌿

We are beyond proud to shine a spotlight on Elizabeth Appleton, IMH-E, our Director of Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Programming at Tykes & Teens. Elizabeth’s passion lies with our youngest and most vulnerable—newborns to age five—ensuring that babies, toddlers, their families, and their caregivers receive world-class mental health support during the most critical years of development.

Her work is tender, tireless, and often unseen… but its ripple effect in our community is enormous. Every day, Elizabeth and her dedicated team walk alongside families who have experienced trauma, offering hope, healing, and the chance for a brighter future.

💚 Recently, Elizabeth and her team were honored with the Branches of Connection Award from the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health—an award that recognizes programs that extend supportive arms into their communities and weave strong, relationship-based networks for infants, young children, and their families. This recognition couldn’t be more deserved.

At Tykes & Teens, we are deeply grateful for Elizabeth—her extraordinary work ethic, her steady leadership, and her compassionate heart. Her team’s impact shapes the foundation of lifelong mental wellness for the children we serve, and we could not do this work without them.

12/06/2025

We had a great conversation about children’s mental health with John and Crystal at Riley Black Studios: All Things Content. Thank you for allowing us to share our story 💜

12/04/2025

Parents, We Need to Talk. Social Media Is Hurting Our Kids — and It’s Not Going Away.

Did you know that 95% of teens are on social media — and more than a third are online almost constantly? Even kids as young as 8–12 are logging hours a day. Here in Florida, a recent youth survey showed that 1 in 5 kids spend 6+ hours a day on their favorite apps, and children with notifications set to “always on” are three times more likely to report anxiety.

This isn’t just screen time. It’s impacting sleep. It’s eroding self-esteem. It’s fueling anxiety, depression, and social comparison at a level we’ve never seen before.
And this problem isn’t going away.

Social media is designed to pull children in and keep them there — long before their brains are developed enough to manage the pressure.

But there is something parents can do:
🌱 Start the conversation early
🌱 Set healthy boundaries on time and content
🌱 Turn off notifications
🌱 Keep phones out of bedrooms at night
🌱 Model healthy digital habits ourselves
🌱 Ask your child how they’re feeling online — not just what they’re doing.

We cannot wait for this issue to solve itself. Our kids need us to step in, stay present, and guide them. Their mental health, confidence, and sense of safety depend on it.

At Tykes & Teens, we’re here to support families navigating these conversations. If you need guidance or if your child is struggling, reach out — we’re here to help.