Education Matters | Getting a Head Start with Children First

By Reno Gomez | Photos Courtesy of Children First | January 2025

Since 1961, Children First has been guided by a mission that puts families first. Serving as the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, Children First is committed to providing a core foundation for every child.

With a focus on education, nutrition, health, and wellness, children are empowered with the tools they need to thrive in school. Early education allows children to build critical learning and social skills. Parents and caregivers are also given tools and resources to support their child’s education while working towards their own goals. Children First ensures all children have access to opportunities, closing the gaps of poverty and setting them on a path for lifelong success.

Pregnant mothers, infants as young as six weeks, and toddlers up to three years old start their early education journey with the Early Head Start Program. This program promotes healthy prenatal outcomes and enhances the development of infants and toddlers. Parents with children in this same age group may also benefit from the Early Care and Education program, which provides childcare to families who are working, or in school, at select locations throughout the county.

Once a child has aged out of the Early Head Start Program, the next step is enrollment in the cornerstone program of Children First, Head Start. This program, serving children ages three to five years old, focuses on school readiness. Through exploration, interaction, exercise, and play that stimulates the imagination, children learn the social, emotional, and cognitive skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Like the Early Head Start Program, Head Start services are for families who live at or below the Federal Poverty Level. Families may still be eligible for services based on other criteria, such as a child with a diagnosed disability.

The team of Early Learning Inclusion Coordinators (ELIC) support children with a range of disabilities, which can include, but are not limited to, developmental delays, autism, and sensory processing disorders. On-site therapies, such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, are available, while partnerships with other service providers ensures children receive the support they need in fully inclusive classroom environments.

Since being awarded grantee status for Head Start in Sarasota County in 1994, Children First has grown and expanded over the last three decades. While the core services are consistent across locations, certain programs may be tailored to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve. For example, the Teen Parent Program is available at Riverview High School and North Port High.

School, providing specialized support for young parents. Partnerships with community organizations, such as Our Mother’s House in Venice, allow Children First to extend its reach and offer services in collaboration with other agencies.

Children First also offers summer programming to ensure that the academic and social gains made during a school year are not compromised or lost.

After graduation from Children First, students and families may be eligible for continued support through Children First’s RISE Program at Emma E. Booker Elementary School. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade receive weekly, one-on-one literacy support with a volunteer mentor during the school day. Families also receive family advocacy services to support their child’s education.

The award-winning Families First Institute, which offers classes to parents and caregivers at no cost, was launched in December 1999 with the Nurturing Dads Initiative. Thanks to support from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and other generous donors, the Family Strengthening program continues to expand.

The agency’s eight-week courses include English for Speakers of Other Languages, Budgeting & Family Finances, Job Skills Training, the Parent Training Program, Circle of Security Parenting, Positive Solutions for Families, and Tools for Being a Great Dad. Single course sessions are also available, and all courses are available in Spanish.

Appointed as President & CEO of Children First in 1996, Philip Tavill will be celebrating his 29th anniversary next month. Throughout his tenure, Tavill has helped countless families navigate the unique stressors of poverty. Recognizing the limitations of food, childcare, and language barriers, the team at Children First continues to adapt solutions to improve the services they provide.

“When you bring your child to a center every day, it becomes like your second home. If you can have childcare for not only the children in our program, but for any child you have, and you and your children are going to be fed dinner, suddenly taking advantage of a family strengthening or parenting course becomes viable,” says Tavill.

Getting involved in Children First and supporting the future of Sarasota County’s children is easy. The Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader book drive, spearheaded by volunteer Sheila Birnbaum, kicks off on February 1, 2025. Donations of new books for children ages 5 and under will be distributed to the families enrolled with Children First, as well as the agency’s local nonprofit and education partners. Children First hopes to continue to highlight the importance of literacy following the success of the 2024 drive, and the nearly 1,400 books

distributed. The book drive will run through March 31, 2025, and all donations can be mailed or dropped off to the main Children First campus. Donors may choose to designate a monetary gift through the Children First website.

For a more hands-on approach, volunteers can engage directly with children and families by assisting in classrooms or participating in special events. Financial contributions through monetary donations help sustain and expand programs that serve the community’s most vulnerable children and families. Attending or sponsoring events that raise essential funds and awareness for Children First’s initiatives offer a fun way to engage and connect with like-minded community members.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on Children First, visit childrenfirst.net or call 941.953.3877.