BRANDON, Fla — A unique childcare option is now available to parents in the Tampa Bay area. KidsPark in Brandon is pay-as-you-go, so there are no contracts and reservations are not needed. If you need childcare, you simply show up and pay by the hour.
There’s no better feeling than seeing your child flourish!
"These are the formative years. There’s so much that they’re going to carry as far as who they are as a person right now, and it’s going to be the things they use at my age," said Deonte Cole.
Cole brings his daughter Kirby to KidsPark.
“Kids Park allows you to choose Monday or Tuesday for three hours, or just a Friday night if you want to do date night," said Sonja Castel, the owner.
It’s why Evelyn Rivero brings her older daughter in after school to burn off some energy and buy her more time to get things done.
“After work, I don’t get a lot of time to myself, so after work is super helpful," said Rivero. "But then on the weekends, when you’re trying to decompress, run errands, or maybe I want to start my own side business, this will allow me to do that.”
Castel noticed the big need for flexible care.
“I moved here, and I didn’t have any family or friends, and I needed childcare at the last minute. There were no options.”
She had no village! It's why she chose to open a KidsPark, which is a national franchise.
That need is not unique either.
According to the Center for American Progress, In 2025, nearly half of young children in the United States lived in a child care desert, where demand for care outpaced supply by 3-to-1.
The Center for American Progress posted an interactive map that shows which areas of Tampa Bay have adequate childcare and where it’s scarce.
The map also shows poverty demographics, and several areas near I-75, including a small chunk of Brandon, are shaded dark red, meaning a higher percentage of the population is in poverty.
Cole says this concept will open the door to more families.
"The fact that it’s low cost, that means that even those parents who don’t have the ability to bring their kids in all the tie can at least give their kids exposure for a few hours, within their budget to give their kids access to things they otherwise wouldn’t get, or would not have had if they were in a childcare facility full time," he said.
And the best part — they’re going to learn a lot at Kids Park. There’s a lot of play and exploration, but also a set curriculum based on age.
“There going to go through the different stations: we have art, sensory, things they don’t really get to do at home, they get to come here and have fun," said Jenny Reyes, the Director. "Then they will go into the activity area, which is like a traditional childcare setting. But again, they just get to explore and do the things that they like.”
Registration is $40 per family. After that, it's $12 an hour for each child. You can also purchase a meal for your child for $6.
Share Your Story with Heather
Heather Leigh was born and raised in Tampa Bay. She’s invested in telling stories from Seminole Heights and Ybor City and helping you find affordable childcare. Send Heather a message with any ideas you’d like to share.
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