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Children First Blog
Read our most recent newsletter HERE!
May 18, 2022
As a current Children First parent and as a former Children First student myself, I want to share how this amazing organization has changed my life, and so many other lives in our community.
My daughter Maliya is 5 years old and enrolled in the Head Start program at Children First. She is getting ready to [...]
April 18, 2022
Once upon a time, on April 9 to be exact, more than 300 guests traveled “Into the Woods” for the 22nd annual Fairytale Ball, hosted by Children First at Michael’s on East, which was decorated as a magical forest, filled with dreams and discoveries waiting to be made.
The sold-out event was the first in-person gala [...]
March 16, 2022
Children First was one of five human service agencies honored with the 2022 Change Agent Philanthropic Award by SRQ Magazine. The awards were presented at a luncheon held at the Hyatt-Regency Sarasota recently, as part of SRQ’s SB2 symposia series.
The award was presented to organizations which have “proven their grit, determination and capacity to [...]
March 3, 2022
Not all heroes wear capes, and the philanthropic spirit of our community during the 2020 Giving Challenge helped to save the day for hundreds of at-risk children and families. During this time, our families were suddenly facing a crisis like never before due to the unforeseen circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Children First, 89% of [...]
January 14, 2022
Solar energy and sustainable practices are setting records across America and the state of Florida as demand for renewable resources continues to grow.
As part of an on-going effort in environmental stewardship for Sarasota County, Children First is working to create a more sustainable future through a cross-sector partnership, Partners for Green Places (PGP).
Launched in October [...]
October 14, 2021
We are proud to announce that The Challenge for Changing Lives has raised over $2.3MM in honor of Children First’s 60th Anniversary!
The matching gift challenge was led by the Diamond Circle, a dedicated group of extraordinary supporters leading the charge in advancing the mission of strengthening children and families. Their combined contribution matched, dollar for [...]
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Thanksgiving is the wonderful time of year when we reflect on all that we have to give thanks for. ![]()
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At Children First, there are many things we are thankful for: our children and families we serve, our committed staff, dedicated volunteers, and our amazing supporters just like you, who make each day possible.![]()
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From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!![]()
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PS: If you're planning on doing any holiday shopping, please consider using Amazon Smile and selecting us as the recipient! smile.amazon.com/.../ref=smi_se_rspo_change_cycsc
As we continue sharing our gratitude this holiday week, we want to thank our USF College of Nursing interns who have spent the past 11 weeks helping our Comprehensive Services team, led by Health & Nutrition Manager Champaigne Spivey, MPH, CPH, and learning about important health and safety topics for children. ![]()
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Our incredible interns assisted with critical health exams for our children such as hearing, vision, and blood pressure screenings, and also spent time shadowing with our staff members as they learned about mental health, inclusion services, and nutrition education.![]()
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Thank you for your commitment to serving our children, families, and community!
We would like to give a special shoutout and BIG THANK YOU to Tanner's Turkeys and St. John's United Methodist Church for their incredible support of our children and families this holiday season!![]()
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Tanner's Turkeys and St. John's UMC each donated 50 fresh turkey meals for our families to enjoy with their loved ones, totaling 100 holiday meals. Thank you for your support of our children, families, and community!
We are so grateful to our incredible Vivacious Volunteers, who helped our Purple Crayon classroom create their very own turkey artwork, followed by a special "Turkey Trot" obstacle course! 🦃![]()
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This special group of volunteers was founded by the The Junior League of Sarasota Sustainers, led by Ollie Johnson. Thank you for your continued commitment to our children, families, and mission!
Nominations for Best of SRQ 2023 close TOMORROW at midnight! ![]()
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We are excited to share that there are FOUR categories where you can vote for Children First. Scan the QR code below or visit www.srqmagazine.com/2023/bestof... to nominate now!![]()
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Thank you for helping Children First continue to be our "best" each and every day!
December 14, 2016
At Children First, our work goes well beyond child care: the education and nurturing environment that we provide actually impact the brain development of our children. Our teachers and volunteers, in partnership with parents and caregivers, help our students to gain the cognitive, social and emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten, college and [...]
February 27, 2017
Numerous studies assert that children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to every day than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty. Due to a combination of factors related to income disparity, by the time children are 5 years old, the ones in poorer [...]
