Bosses for Babies

How This Boss Makes an Impact for Children in Florida

On behalf of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB), I’m thrilled for the opportunity to be a Boss for Babies. I’ve always been passionate about improving the lives of children, both because they are the innocent who cannot control their circumstances and because, as a society, improving children’s lives today and into the future is simply a smart investment. I’m proud of the leadership role JWB has taken for children, especially babies and their families. I personally believe that the earlier we invest, the greater the return – for our children, their families, and our society.

This year, JWB will invest $106.8M in programs, initiatives, and campaigns aimed at strengthening the lives of Pinellas County children and families. A substantial portion of our funding supports families with infants and young children. These funded programs include infant and maternal health, infant mental health, childhood nutrition, early childhood screenings, parent education and support (home visiting), quality early learning, family stabilization, domestic violence supports, respite services, and more. In addition, JWB invests in campaigns and initiatives to support families of babies, such as our Turbo Babies Early Childhood Public Awareness Campaign, Children’s Mental Health Initiative, Sleep Baby Safely, and Fatherhood Collaborative.

JWB has implemented strategies to build organizational capacity in the birth-to-three space, including our 0-3 Think Tank, workforce stabilization, early childhood college scholarships, and no cost professional development trainings. For our JWB employees, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes no-cost medical, vision, and dental coverage, tuition reimbursement, and paid parental leave: up to six weeks of leave following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster care. Plus, JWB is a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, ensuring accommodations are in place for nursing mothers returning to the office.

Bio

Beth A. Houghton joined the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) as Chief Executive Officer in 2019. In this role, Ms. Houghton oversees an organization with a 75+ year history of strengthening children’s lives in Pinellas County. She oversees an annual impact budget of $106.8M, funding programs and initiatives to ensure children are ready to learn, thrive, and succeed in homes, schools, and neighborhoods that are healthy and safe.

Ms. Houghton serves as the nexus between the JWB Board and day-to-day operations, advances accountability systems and measurements to ensure effective use of taxpayer investments, and advocates for children’s issues and underserved families. She creates strategic partnerships and oversees the funding of 100 high-quality programs, operated by 50 nonprofit agencies that benefit tens of thousands of Pinellas County children and families annually.

Ms. Houghton came to JWB from the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, where she held the top position for eight years. She graduated with highest honors from Stetson University College of Law, earned her MBA with highest honors from Tulane University Graduate School of Business, and her BA with honors in Economics and Political Science from Newcomb College of Tulane University. Ms. Houghton is licensed to practice law in Florida, and she previously served as Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of John’s Hopkins All Children’s Health System. She currently serves as Chair of the Hospital Board of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, has taken numerous mission trips to rural Honduras, and serves on the Board for the Foundation for International Missions which supports a rural health clinic.