Children First Partners with Bank of America

July 6, 2022 – Sarasota

Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services, recently received a $20,000 grant to expand its Family Strengthening Services from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

At Children First, family well-being and parent engagement are major cornerstones of the agency’s mission. To strengthen the entire family, it is critical to support parents to ensure the best possible outcomes for their children. To address this, Children First provides key strengthening services to parents and caregivers, including through Family Advocacy. 

Family Advocates facilitate each family’s realization of well-being through expert resource navigation and strategic goal setting. As families in need strive for educational advancement and economic mobility, they are receiving direct, one-on-one support that enables them to attain success and self-sufficiency. 

“The unfortunate reality is the systematic pressures of poverty are traumatizing for our children and families,” says CEO Philip Tavill. “The lack of social support, financial resources, unsafe living conditions, and other negative experiences create an environment of chronic stress in both children and adults, affecting the entire family’s well-being. We are grateful to Bank of America for helping us to transform the lives of those most vulnerable.”

Bank of America is committed to supporting nonprofits across Sarasota-Manatee that help drive economic opportunity in the community by partnering with organizations focused on workforce development and education, as well as basic needs fundamental to long-term stability.

“Access to crucial resources that foster skills development, socialization, communication and problem-solving are critical to a child’s overall growth and long-term outcomes in life,” said Jamie Kahns, Market Executive, Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee. “This funding will allow Children First to expand its ability to help families meet their financial, educational and occupational goals to create positive, enduring changes at home.”