CHILDREN FIRST

www.childrenfirst.net

20 Students

Pre Kindergarten Pre-K - Pre-K

School Overview

Children First is the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, Florida. Operating as a comprehensive early childhood development organization, the school focuses on serving children from birth to five years old, particularly those from low-income families. Their mission is to provide high-quality education, nutrition, and family support services that prepare children for kindergarten while fostering long-term family stability and self-sufficiency.

Beyond traditional classroom instruction, the organization is known for its "whole-family" approach. They provide robust support systems that include parent education, mental health services, and resources to help families overcome barriers to success. By focusing on both the child’s cognitive development and the family’s socioeconomic well-being, Children First functions as a vital community hub dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through early intervention and collaborative community partnerships.

Total Students

6.0

Full-Time Teachers

3.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for CHILDREN FIRST
Demographic	Student Count
White	13
Hispanic	6
Black	1

White
13 (65.0 %)
Hispanic
6 (30.0 %)
Black
1 (5.0 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Pre Kindergarten
School Type:	Special Education School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	SARASOTA
Phone:	(941)953-3877
Website:	http://www.childrenfirst.net
Grade Range:	Pre-K - Pre-K
Total Students:	20
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	6.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	3.3
NSLP Participation:¹	No
Qualified Free Lunch:	N/A
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	N/A

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 20