News

For the first time since March of 2020, we are excited to resume our annual and in-person pre-service staff training event at the State College of Florida Lakewood Ranch Campus! Children First staff gathered for a full day of professional development and training on July 27. VP of Programs Kathleen Sullivan and VP of Philanthropy Jessica [...]

Congratulations to Early Head Start and Head Start Associate Director Brigette Davis (second row, sixth from left) and Director of Family Services Meredith Mitchell (second row, third from left) for their acceptance into and completion of the UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program! Designed from a strategic planning perspective, the [...]

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 [...]