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Children First Blog

February 16, 2023

Children First Parent, CEO Honored for Statewide Impact

Children First, Inc., the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, is proud to announce that parent and Policy Council Liaison Maria Somera and CEO Philip Tavill have been honored by the Florida Head Start Association (FHSA) for their impact in elevating excellence in Florida’s Head Start Community. Representing nearly [...]
February 2, 2023

VP of Programs Kathleen Sullivan Named to National Head Start Association Region IV Board of Directors

Kathleen Sullivan, MACD, the Vice President of Programs at Children First, has been elected to serve on the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) Region IV Board of Directors. In her role, Ms. Sullivan will help to oversee Head Start’s Region IV, the southeastern United States, representing more than 170,000 children, 40,000 staff and 300 [...]
February 1, 2023

Children First Names New Board Leadership and Directors for 2023

We are proud to announce our slate of board leadership for 2023, and the addition of three new directors! At our agency’s annual board reception on January 24, the Reverend Brock H. Leach was formally welcomed as Board Chair. Keith G. Johnson, VP at Truist Private Wealth, was welcomed as Vice Chair, Elizabeth [...]
October 20, 2022

A Legacy of Love: Stephanie & Allen Hochfelder

As a supporter of Children First, you help us to provide high-quality early childhood education and family strengthening services to the most vulnerable children and families in our community. We invite you to safeguard our life-changing programs for generations to come by joining our Legacy Society –Children First Forever – by notifying us of your [...]
October 12, 2022

Areli’s Journey

Areli Gervacio, who now works as the receptionist at the Children First Orange Avenue campus, came here from Mexico in 2000, when she was only 15 years old. She and her sister joined her parents who had moved here four years earlier. The young mother of five children, now ranging in age from 2-18, has [...]
September 30, 2022

Hurricane Ian Update: September 30, 2022

EDITED: October 3, 2022 September 30, 2022   Dear Children First Family, We hope this communication finds you and your loved ones safe and well. In accordance with Sarasota County School District’s announcement today, Children First will continue to be closed through Monday, October 3 and until further notice so that we can support everyone directly impacted by Hurricane [...]
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 27, 2017

Children First wins WEDU ‘Be More’ Award

Children First, Sarasota County’s exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start programs, was awarded the WEDU “Be More Informed” Nielsen Marketing Campaign Award during the 2017 WEDU Be More Awards Luncheon & Ceremony in Tampa on February 23. Children First was recognized for our “Raise Your Hand” campaign. The “Be More Informed” award [...]
October 26, 2017

Jessica Rogers to Join Children First as V.P. of Philanthropy

Transitioning from one distinguished learning institution to another, Jessica Rogers will join Children First on December 6, 2017  as the new Vice President of Philanthropy after spending eleven years working in fundraising at New College of Florida, the state’s designated honors college for the liberal arts and sciences.  As the leader of Children First’s philanthropy [...]
April 8, 2019

Observer: Children First Celebrates with Story Books

Co-chairs Matt & Krystel Beall, Stan & Jo Rutstein, Carol & Richard Kalikow, and Lisa & Mitch Olan pose for a photo on the dance floor. (Photo: Kayleigh Omang, Observer Media Group) Children First brought guests back into the tales of their childhood April 6 at Michael’s On East. Fairytale Ball: “The Enchanted Library” celebrated the work Children [...]