One More Child Names Dr. Leon Battle Regional President for Tampa Bay as Organization Expands

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One More Child has appointed Dr. Leon Battle as regional president for the Tampa Bay area, a new leadership role created to support the organization's continued growth and expanding impact across the region. 

One More Child currently provides foster care, anti-human trafficking, family support, a single moms program, and child hunger services throughout Tampa Bay. The organization also operates Loft 181, a clothing boutique in Lutz designed to serve trafficking survivors and teen girls in foster care.  

As of June, there were 13,568 children in the child welfare system in Florida according to according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Throughout Circuit 13, which includes the Tampa Bay area, there are approximately 1,046 children in foster care or out-of-home placement. Seventy-two percent of single-mom households with children in Hillsborough County do not bring in enough income to meet their family’s basic needs, while 1 in 5 children battle food insecurity.  

"I've seen firsthand what happens when a community comes together to surround children and families with hope," Battle said. "Tampa Bay is filled with churches, businesses and community leaders who want to make a difference. I'm honored to help unite those partners so that more children are protected, more families are strengthened and more lives are transformed." 

With 12 years of service at One More Child, Battle will continue helping corporations make charitable donations and offset their tax liability through Florida's Strong Families Tax Credit. He will also continue connecting businesses with opportunities to play a role in supporting Tampa's 25,000-square-foot Compassion Center that will serve as a centralized hub for resources and support for children and families in need. 

"Leon has spent his career serving vulnerable children and families, and he has an exceptional ability to bring people together around a shared mission," said One More Child President & CEO Stephen Robert. "His deep relationships across the Tampa Bay community, combined with his passion and proven leadership, will help us expand our reach and impact more lives." 

Before joining One More Child, Battle served in pastoral ministry in Albany, New York, where he witnessed the challenges many families faced firsthand. That experience led him to the Florida Department of Children and Families, where he investigated child abuse and institutional neglect before becoming a human trafficking specialist. In that role, he helped identify and rescue children from trafficking and abusive situations and received multiple recognitions from the governor’s office for his service. Battle’s dual expertise in child welfare policy and community partnership development positions One More Child to scale its impact throughout the region.  

Battle earned a bachelor's degree in theology with a minor in business from Southeastern University, a master's degree in human services and completed his Doctor of Ministry in 2022, with a focus on holistic services for individuals experiencing poverty. 

About One More Child:  

One More Child operates in 29 states and 19 countries around the world, meeting the needs of foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families, sex-trafficked children and vulnerable adults. In 2025, One More Child provided direct services to 271,193 children and individuals while impacting an additional 100,692 individuals through advocacy, trainings, awareness and volunteering. One More Child provided more than 18.7 million meals nationally and globally. For more information, visit www.onemorechild.org.  

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Attachments

• Dr. Leon Battle, One More Child regional president for Tampa Bay
• Dr. Leon Battle

Joe McLeod
One More Child
joe.mcleod@onemorechild.org