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Children First Blog
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May 21, 2020
May 21, 2021 | Tampa As part of the agency’s efforts to address continued food insecurity amongst its families, local members of the community teamed up with Paradise Grill restaurant in Nokomis to bring chef-prepared meals to each of the children and families who attend Children First, Sarasota County’s exclusive provider of Head Start and [...]
May 13, 2020
May 13, 2020 | By Scene Children First announced that 330 members of our community came together to raise $85,010 during the 2020 Giving Challenge, hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. All giving is inclusive of a 1:1 match provided by the Patterson Foundation, and a $30,000 ‘match on top of the match’ [...]
May 6, 2020
May 6, 2020 Mark and Corey talk with Jack Baker, Families First Institute Manager at Children First, about his career and passion for early childhood development and how it led to his involvement in The Nurturing Father’s Program. They also discuss some important things to consider as a father while spending more time at home [...]
April 18, 2020
April 1, 2020
Thank you to all who voted for Children First in SRQ Magazine’s ‘Best of SRQ Local’ 2020 competition! Our agency was chosen as the Platinum winner in the ‘Best Children’s Nonprofit‘ category and as a Bronze winner in the ‘Best Nonprofit‘ category.
Children First also received a second platinum designation this month with the [...]
April 13, 2020
Children First, the Head Start grantee for Sarasota County, believes it is vitally important that the 2020 Census is as accurate as possible.
Our mission is serving our community’s most economically vulnerable families with very young children, from pregnancy through age 5. We provide high-quality, early-childhood and development-programs and comprehensive family-strengthening services. We help children and [...]
March 25, 2020
Children First volunteer Tom Cook was presented with the Be More Involved Mason Dixon Award for Volunteerism at the 15th annual WEDU Public Media Be More Awards. A steadfast supporter, Mr. Cook became a finalist in the volunteerism category after receiving an outpouring of online votes and was selected as the ultimate winner by Mason [...]
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A heartfelt thank you to the Sarasota City Foundation for their incredible generosity! Their recent donation of $25,000 will play a pivotal role in supporting our agency's family strengthening services through the Nurturing Dads Initiative, an integral component of our award-winning Families First Institute.![]()
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"We at the Sarasota City Foundation are thrilled to support the Nurturing Dads Initiative through the Families First Institute. We believe in the power of community and are committed to investing in programs that strengthen families and foster positive growth. It's our privilege to contribute to such a meaningful cause and see the impact of our support in the lives of families in Sarasota,” says Erik Arroyo, Founder, Sarasota City Foundation. ![]()
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The Sarasota City Foundation has a mission to bridge the gap between public and private resources to meet the immediate needs of the Sarasota Community. We are deeply honored to be a beneficiary of their commitment to creating positive and lasting change. Thank you for your support!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Jennifer Mathey of Pixie Health Insurance recently donated to our holiday program, helping ensure this holiday season is magical and bright for all.![]()
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Jennifer and her family are Children First alumni, making these gifts for our children and families extra special. Thank you for your support! 🌟What an honor. Pixie Health Insurance was giving a great opportunity to adopt ![]()
through Children First, Inc. Years ago this same organization helped me & my son so I felt it in my heart ❤️ to give back:). I just hope these gifts will help the family ‘s 🎄 Christmas a little brighter.
During the 2023 AFP National Philanthropy Day celebration, Children First was thrilled to honor long-time supporters and volunteers Kathy & Tom Cook for their continued commitment to our children, families, and staff, alongside volunteers from the Venice Area Quilters Guild, who have been stitching a legacy of love for our children since 2005. ![]()
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Spotlighting the long history of caring and sharing that is so much a part of our local community, the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals annually honors individuals, businesses and foundations for their leadership commitment to philanthropy.
Giving Tuesday is tomorrow! ![]()
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We invite you to join the national movement of building a world where generosity is part of everyday life. By investing in the quality services provided by Children First, you give the gift of a better life to our most vulnerable young children and their families.![]()
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Thanks to the generosity of our Changemaker Collective, all gifts will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $600,000. If you would like double your impact, please follow this link: www.childrenfirst.net/donate/. Thank you for your support!
July 15, 2019
Children First has been selected for a matching grant through the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) literacy network for its commitment to lifelong learning. Books for Ownership is RIF’s flagship reading program that enables children to select new, age-appropriate books to take home and is supported by resources for educators, caregivers, and volunteers in order to [...]
September 30, 2019
October 22nd, 2019 – What Makes a Best Place to Work?
Residential and commercial services, insurance, health care, social services, manufacturing services and a hair salon. The Herald-Tribune’s 2019’s list of Best Places to Work in Sarasota and Manatee contains quite a variety of workplaces, from larger companies to small and medium-sized companies alike.
And ‘alike’ is the operative [...]
November 22, 2019
Dropping your child off at a safe and reliable preschool should ease nerves for most parents, but for many, the challenges of the day are just beginning. Financial trouble, food instability, reliable employment, and access to education are struggles many families in our community face. That’s why Children First has to be so much more [...]
December 30, 2019
By Reverend Brock Leach – Director, Children First Board, Chair Emeritus 2013-2015
In a world of big, future-threatening problems, how should we invest what poet Mary Oliver calls “this one wild and precious life”? I want to make the case for kids. As a minister who works to strengthen communities, I’ve become convinced that what fundamentally ails [...]