News

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]