When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship. The Science of Early Childhood Development, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University Great News for The Florida Center

Council on Accreditation (COA) has approved the re-accreditation of The Florida Center for Child and Family Development, Inc. through 6/30/2013!  This is a significant achievement for the Center and represents the fulfillment of countless hours of hard work and  the dedication of many people-most notably our staff and the members of our board.  The COA reaccreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both an organization’s administrative operations and its service delivery practices.  All are “measured” against national standards of best practice.  We are proud to be a part of COA’s Community of Excellence!  For more information on COA visit their web site at:  www.coanet.org Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice Awards Grant to The Florida Center! The Florida Center for Child and Family Development was awarded a $329,000 three year grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice to expand our Early Childhood Behavioral/Mental Health Consultation Model to young children in South County.  A study conducted by Walter Gilliam, Ph.D. at Yale Child Study Center in 2005 found that young children are being expelled from pre-school settings nationwide at three times the rate as children  kindergarten thru Grade 12; the primary reason being behavioral problems.  These funds will allow much needed behavioral consultation and mentoring to teachers and parents so that young children at risk for developing more serious behavioral/mental health problems receive the help they need to grow socially and emotionally strong.  Full Report: Gilliam, W. S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten systems. New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center. [PDF] For more information on the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice visit their web site at:  www.gulfcoastcf.org The Florida Center expands its Healthy Families Program to Desoto and Hardee counties!  The Florida Center became the Lead Agency for Healthy Families Desoto/Hardee on July 13th!  Our Healthy Families Sarasota program has provided child abuse prevention services to pregnant women and children at risk for child abuse and neglect since 1998, serving well over 550 families annually.  The Desoto/Hardee program provides services to over 130 families annually.  An estimated 86,000 children are abused and neglected statewide each year.  The Florida Child Abuse Death Review Team states in their 2008 Annual Report that, "The prudent investment the Florida Legislature has made in the quality and proven prevention services that Healthy Families Florida has provided since its inception in 1998 should be continued, as addressing child abuse and neglect after the fact is far more costly in both human and budgetary terms."  We are honored to be selected as the lead agency for the Desoto/Hardee Healthy Families Program!   For more information on Healthy Families Florida visit their web site at: www.healthyfamiliesfla.org

Letter from Kathryn Shea - President and CEO of the Florida Center for Child and Family Development

 

The Florida Center for Child and Family Development is a nationally accredited community-based agency that provides quality programs and services dedicated to the development of young children, their families, and our communities.

The Florida Center provides early childhood education and developmental services (speech, occupational, and physical therapy), mental health services for young children and families, fetal alcohol diagnosis and intervention services, prevention and parent education services.