Children First Ambassadors Honored by State Association

November 1, 2023 – Sarasota

Children First is proud to announce that four representatives for the agency have been honored by the Florida Head Start Association for their impact in elevating excellence across Florida’s Head Start Community. 

As the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, Children First serves nearly 1,100 individuals daily at multiple sites across Sarasota, Venice, and North Port. The agency has been ranked in the top 1% of more than 1,800 programs nationwide and is a four-time designated Head Start Program of Excellence.

Children First Vice President of Programs Kathleen Sullivan was honored with the Aubrey Puckett Memorial Award. As a former Head Start parent, Ms. Sullivan was recognized for demonstrating passion for and commitment to serving through advocacy as both a current staff member and Head Start alumna.

Leah Jones, Children First parent and Policy Council Vice Chair, was recognized with the Beating the Odds Award for overcoming significant challenges on her journey to self-sufficiency. 

Program Operations Coordinator LaShawn’te Lee received the award for Head Start staff in pursuit of higher education and was recognized by the state association for her contributions to both Children First and the community. 

Jane Shaw, Early Learning Inclusion Coordinator, received the Achievement Award for Disabilities Services, recognizing exceptional performance in the delivery of services to children with disabilities and supporting parents in their role as advocates for their children.

As winners at the state level, Ms. Jones and Ms. Shaw will advance to the Region IV Head Start Association as category finalists, representing more than 170,000 children, 40,000 staff, and 300 programs across the Southeastern United States. Ms. Sullivan’s nomination will advance to the National Head Start Association as a Region IV category finalist, representing more than 1 million children and their families across the country.

The honorees exemplify high-quality early education, family, and community support that has made Head Start and Early Head Start the gold standard both state and nationwide.