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 [...]
We had so much fun celebrating our hard-working parents during our Galaxy Awards this month!Every year, Children First holds a special event to honor our parents for their achievements in employment, education, family goals, building a home, and spending time on classroom activities with their child(ren).Every parent got to walk the red carpet, have their photo taken to commemorate the occasion, and be greeted by their adoring fans (our staff), with smiles and cheers all around! Parents also received a gift card to celebrate their accomplishments and hard work over dinner with their loved ones.CONGRATULATIONS to our dedicated parents! ... See MoreSee Less
CEO Philip Tavill was recently invited on the Freedom to Rise podcast with United Way Suncoast Chief Impact Officer Bronwyn Beightol! Thank you UWS and team for the opportunity to share about the many different ways our mission continues to positively impact our children and families! ... See MoreSee Less
A huge THANK YOU to Marvin Kadesh and the Salvation Army for providing our Family Advocates Bailee and Denise with infant formula to distribute to our children and families in need!During these critical times, support from our community partners helps to keep our mission moving forward each and every day. Thank you! ... See MoreSee Less
On behalf of our entire agency, we would like to congratulate Alanna on her upcoming graduation from Pine View School for the Gifted! Alanna has served as the STAR Director on our board for all four years of her high school experience, and we could not be prouder as she prepares to attend Florida State University to study criminology. CONGRATULATIONS! 🥳🎓STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Leadership Training is a nationally-recognized leadership program for high school students that encourages lifelong active citizenship. During this comprehensive 10-week program, teens learn how they can participate in creating the world in which they want to live through leadership skill development, meetings with our community’s elected government and school board officials, service projects and more! ... See MoreSee Less
CEO Philip Tavill was recently invited on the Sarasota Stories podcast! We are grateful for the opportunity to share the stories of our children and families, and to share our mission broadly with our community. #HeadStartWorksIf the Stories in This Episode Don’t Warm Your Heart Nothing Will — With Philip Tavill of Children First | Episode 033Listen now on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon MusicEvery once in a while you run into a person whose record and reputation are so amazing you're a bit skeptical until you meet them face-to-face.You think to yourself is this person really as advertised?In today's episode, I interview one such individual and as you'll hear, indeed he is as advertised.Today, my guest is Philip Tavill President & CEO of Children First, Inc.Interested in being on my show?or DM me!#sarasota #sarasotaflorida #podcast #local #sarasotastories #sarasotastoriespodcast #Childrenfirst #sarasotaphilanthropy #sarasotafl ... See MoreSee Less