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Children First Blog
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February 25, 2021
February 25, 2021 The circumstances of the last year have forced non-profits to make dramatic changes. WEDU PBS presents Be More Unstoppable, a special broadcast to celebrate non-profits and share stories of resilience and spirit during a challenging year.
Children First and CEO Philip Tavill joined area nonprofits in sharing the many ways we have pivoted [...]
February 1, 2021
February 1, 2021 In 1961, the Junior League of Sarasota, formerly the Junior Welfare League of Sarasota, founded the Sarasota Day Nursery with a mission to prepare children from low-income families for Kindergarten. Their work changed lives and built a strong foundation, and in 1994 the agency became Sarasota County’s exclusive provider of Head Start [...]
January 26, 2021
January 26, 2021 PGT Innovations, a national leader in the premium windows and doors category, has partnered with Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, to kick off the agency’s 60th anniversary in a special initiative called “60 for 60.”
In honor of Children First’s major milestone, the agency is [...]
January 15, 2021
January 15, 2021 – Sarasota Dr. Melania Kesoglou, Ed.S., Ph.D., and Director of Education at Children First, has been invited to serve on the National Head Start Association’s Region IV Foster Care Challenge (FCC) Committee. In her role, Dr. Kesoglou will help to oversee the FCC’s work in Head Start’s Region IV, the southeastern United [...]
January 13, 2021
Philip Tavill, the longtime president and CEO of Children First, Sarasota County’s exclusive Head Start provider, has vivid memories of spending time beside his father, a physician working in public health, in locations from Morocco to Milwaukee. His South African mother’s passionate anti-apartheid stance also helped shape his concern for others. “Together, they [...]
January 13, 2021
Children First, Inc., the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services in Sarasota County, is excited to welcome the new slate of board leadership for 2021. Liz Stamoulis, partner at Williams Parker Harrison Dietz & Getzen, Linda Monda, community philanthropist with a special focus on education, children, and families, and Joe Stephan, former Vice President for the National Cash [...]
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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!
August 30, 2017
September 1, 2017
On August 31, 2017, volunteers from Pulte Homes and BrightView landscape Services Englewood lent a helping hand a green thumb to help enhance the grounds at Children First’s Venice location. They generously donated their time and supplies to give at-risk children and families a beautiful welcome when they arrive at school each day. Dozens of volunteers [...]
September 12, 2017
UPDATE — All Children First sites will remain closed through Friday, Sept. 15 due to Hurricane Irma. We will re-open on Monday, Sept. 18. Thank you for your patience as we assessed various factors in this process. We hope everyone made it safely through the storm with minimal damage and look forward to seeing you [...]
September 26, 2017
Feelings you may be having during this stressful time:
Trouble sleeping. You might wake up in the night or have nightmares.
Eating changes. You may not be hungry. Or maybe you are eating everything in sight.
Get upset easily; lose your temper; cry a lot.
Can’t stop thinking about the hurricane.
Feel afraid and worried about what is going to [...]