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.”

About Children First:

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. 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.