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August 10, 2023

Children First Staff Earn National Family Development Credential

We are proud to announce that five employees have recently earned the national Family Development Credential through the University of Connecticut! The Family Development Credential (FDC) emerged in 1994 from a research-policy collaborative. The program provides frontline workers with the knowledge and skills they need to coach families to set and reach their own goals for [...]
June 14, 2023

Happy Father’s Day from Children First!

“A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us on a journey, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” –       Anonymous Once a year, we stop to honor and remember the most important man in our lives – our dad. Photographer Anne Geddes perhaps said it best [...]
May 23, 2023

Making History Through Head Start: Carlos Yancy

Carlos Yancy is a Business Development Specialist with BayFirst Bank in Newtown, where he and his team have a direct focus on making a difference in our community and in the lives of those we serve. He is also a proud Children First alumni and third-generation Sarasota resident. From a young age, he was taught the [...]
May 18, 2023

Children First CEO Honored by National Head Start Association for Significant Service to Community

(Left to right: CEO Philip Tavill, VP of Programs Kathleen Sullivan, VP of Philanthropy Jessica Rogers, and Board Chair Brock Leach) Philip Tavill, CEO of Children First, has been honored by the National Head Start Association (NHSA) for his significant achievements in excellence in community service. The NHSA represents more than one million children, 275,000 staff, [...]
May 11, 2023

Happy Mother’s Day From our Family to Yours!

Once each year we stop to say thank you to the most important person in our world – our mother. She loves unconditionally, is our first and most important teacher, and our constant source of strength and love through good times and bad. Here at Children First, we understand there is no more important job in [...]
April 25, 2023

A Journey Through the Looking Glass

“Thy loving smile will surely hail the love-gift of a fairy tale.” On April 1, the magic of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” his sequel to “Alice in Wonderland,” created a festive backdrop for the 23rd Annual Fairytale Ball, hosted by Children First at Michael’s on East. In the words of Alice, “The only way to [...]
April 13, 2016

SNN: Children First Honors Philanthropist (Gerri Aaron)

SARASOTA – Children First recognized philanthropist, Gerri Aaron at a special ceremony Thursday, April 13th. Children First honored Gerri Aaron who has been extraordinarily dedicated to the program. She has made a gift to take Children First to the next level. The education wing was named after her. Children First is a nationally-recognized program of excellence that helps [...]
September 16, 2016

SNN Feel Good Friday: Children First Celebrates 55 Years

SARASOTA – Children First in Sarasota is celebrating 55 years of helping young children and families on the Suncoast. The organization is also in the middle of the Raise Your Hand campaign fundraiser. SNN’s Grant Boxleitner talked to Children First CEO Philip Tavill about the program and the fundraiser in this week’s edition of “Feel Good [...]
November 22, 2016

Flipping and Rockin’ – the 2016 Children First fall events

The 2016 Flip Flops & Fashion and Rockin’ Lobster events were amazing, and we are so grateful for all the support received! These fundraisers allow Children First to provide more support to vulnerable families and children. Did you know that the cost for one child’s schooling is about $10,000 per year? Thanks to our generous [...]
February 9, 2017

Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Wing Dedication

SARASOTA, FL – On February 9th, Children First, Sarasota County’s exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start programs, dedicated the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Community Wing at its primary campus. The Mondas, dedicated champions for Children First, were recognized for their significant support of the organization’s Raise Your Hand campaign; numerous [...]