Children First In The Press
January 12, 2021
January 12, 2021 | Kay Kipling
Philip Tavill, the longtime president and CEO of Children First, Sarasota County’s exclusive Head Start provider, has vivid memories of spending time beside his father, a physician working in public health, in locations from Morocco to Milwaukee. His South African mother’s passionate anti-apartheid stance also helped shape [...]
December 3, 2020
December 3, 2020
Brigette Davis, Associate Head Start and Early Head Start Director at Children First in Sarasota, has been elected to the Florida Head Start Association (FHSA) Board of Directors. As a FHSA board member, she plays a key role in representing Sarasota County and fulfilling FHSA’s work across the state to deliver high-quality [...]
December 1, 2020
December 1, 2020
When Ted and Ethna Wishnie of Sarasota walk through the halls of Children First in Sarasota, they are touched by the success stories, the gratitude and the children’s songs.
That zest for life reminds them of Eric Wishnie, Ted’s son and Ethna’s stepson, whose death at age 45 came amidst a successful broadcast [...]
November 26, 2020
November 26, 2020 | Thanksgiving in Tampa Bay
Children First is providing meals to families and staff for the holiday season thanks to the generosity of Sarasota realtor Michele Tanner, her non-profit Tanner’s Turkeys, and an anonymous donor.
The agency distributed 60 turkeys and sides to the families it serves as a recipient of ‘Tanner’s Turkey’s [...]
November 15, 2020
November 15, 2020
Meeting Children’s Needs Now for Future Success
There’s a Chinese proverb that epitomizes Sarasota’s many and varied children’s nonprofits: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” Some of the area’s youth-centered organizations began working decades ago and have cultivated generations of young Sarasotans into adult [...]
September 22, 2020
September 22, 2020
Sarasota has a legacy of strong leaders and innovators. Leadership Sarasota County, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, is continuing that legacy by building a community of leaders for Sarasota today and tomorrow. This year, CEO Philip Tavill, Leadership Class of 1993, was honored alongside Pam Beitlich, of Sarasota [...]
For Media Inquiries Contact:
Evan Ackerman
Communications CoordinatorPh: (941) 953-3877 ext. 1114
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Our friends from Northwestern Mutual spent a day volunteering at our Helen R. Payne Annex on Martin Luther King Way. Jenna, Lydia, Ryan, Tony, and Herrmann emptied and cleaned ALL of the toys from the Head Start and Early Head Start toy sheds. The toys and the sheds look great after the makeover, and the students had a wonderful surprise of clean toys to play with when they returned to school on Monday!![]()
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Northwestern Mutual volunteers also helped us mulch and refresh the plantings at our Dr. Elaine Marieb Center in fall of 2019. Thank you for all your hard work and continued commitment to our mission! #60for60
We are honored to be a recipient of a grant from Bank of America which will help us continue working toward our mission of providing high-quality services to children and families in need. Now more than ever, these contributions are so important in supporting our community's most vulnerable. Thank you! #BofAGrantsChildren First has received a $10,000 grant from Bank of America![]()
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Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, has received a $10,000 grant from Bank of America. The grant will help fund comprehensive educational programs and wraparound services for pregnant women, infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and their families living at-risk.![]()
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Bank of America’s key investment in the well-being of vulnerable children and families, many of whom live below the Federal Poverty Level of $21,960 for a family of 3, will secure a dollar-for-dollar match through The Challenge for Changing Lives, Children First’s 60th Anniversary challenge match campaign.![]()
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“This funding means we can continue to provide the highest quality early childhood education in our beautiful classrooms with dedicated teachers. It will also help to fill hungry tummies with delicious, nutritious food and provide the critical wraparound services, including emotional and behavioral support and family strengthening, that allows for our families to continue on their paths to independence,” says Children First CEO Philip Tavill. “Together, we are preparing our children to become whatever it is they dream to be and helping our families make their dreams a reality.”![]()
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In total, Bank of America has granted $410,000 to 19 nonprofits across Sarasota-Manatee this year. Through direct action and investment in organizations like Children First, the bank is focused on addressing basic needs fundamental to building life-long stability for residents in the region.![]()
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“Children First’s mission of strengthening the lives of children and families through comprehensive programs aligns with Bank of America’s commitment to Sarasota-Manatee residents,” said Mike McCoy, President, Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee. “By providing infants, toddlers and their parents with these valuable resources, we are positioning the next generation for success and in turn, helping the community prosper for years to come.”![]()
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About Children First:![]()
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Founded in 1961 and ranked in the top 1% out of over 1,800 Head Starts nationwide, Children First strengthens children and families by improving the quality of their lives through a comprehensive approach to development, education, health, and well-being. At 15 sites throughout Sarasota County, Children First offers full-day preschool, infant and toddler care, and nutrition and health care assistance to children ages birth to five years old from low-income families. ![]()
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Through Children First, the children receive the social and cognitive skills needed to enter kindergarten and elementary school on track. For more information, call (941) 953-3877 or go to childrenfirst.net.
Our long-time partnership with Zenith Insurance Company allows us to provide our children going to Kindergarten each year with backpacks full of supplies and educational books to help set them up for success! Thank you for your on-going commitment to our children and families, our mission, and our community! #60for60
Check out this awesome gratitude meditation led in Spanish by Family Advocate Denise! There are subtitles in English so the video can be enjoyed by all. Thank you Denise! #enhancingresilience
Practica de Gratitud (A Practice of Gratitude)
www.youtube.com
Family Advocate Denise Pacheco shares a bilingual meditation to practice gratitude.
Children First will be closed on Wednesday, July 7th due to inclement weather. Please continue to monitor our Facebook page and www.childrenfirst.net for updates. Check with your Family Advocate or immediate supervisor if you have any questions or are in need of assistance. We thank you for your understanding. Be safe and well.