Families First of Palm Beach County –in collaboration with Changent, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Center for Child Counseling – celebrated a decade of Child First’s significant impact in Palm Beach County with a breakfast on Wednesday, August 27, at Opportunity Early Childhood Education and Family Center.

“For the past 10 years, the Child First Program has been a lifeline for families in Palm Beach County, helping parents and children build stronger, healthier futures together. This milestone is only possible because of the dedication of our staff, the commitment of our community partners and funders, and the trust of the families we serve. We are deeply proud of the impact this program has made—breaking cycles of adversity, strengthening families, and giving children the opportunity to thrive.” – Julie Swindler, CEO, Families First of Palm Beach County.

Over the past 10 years, Child First has walked alongside families in our community– supporting parents, nurturing children, and building stronger foundations for brighter futures. Child First is funded by Children’s Services Council and is a program of Changent, a national organization that implements and supports data-driven programs.

With close to 100 people in attendance, the celebration honored the visionaries who brought Child First to Palm Beach County, the dedicated staff who show up every day for children and families, and the partners and supporters who make the work possible. The breakfast program included impactful speeches and stories from CEO of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO of Families First Julie Swindler, CEO & President of Center for Child Counseling Renee Layman, Child First Parent Ambassador Courtney Williams, Chief Program and Network Officer of Changent Dr. Meghan López, and President and CEO of Changent Charlotte Min-Harris.

When young children grow up in environments where there is violence, neglect, mental illness, or substance abuse, the stress can be toxic to their developing brains. This damage can be prevented with effective intervention, as proven through the Child First program– Changent’s first replication and expansion site outside the state of Connecticut.

According to Dr. Williams-Taylor, “What makes Child First so effective is that it’s a home- based, multi-pronged, two-generation approach–a care coordinator first stabilizes the family by connecting them to community resources and helping them access basic needs. A clinician then guides the family through appropriate therapeutics interventions. This team approach, based on developing a trusting relationship with families, is what makes all the difference.

Williams-Taylor continued, “For years, Children Services Council and our partners in Palm Beach County had taken the time and energy to think creatively. We were open to innovation and brave enough to take risks. We were building a strong and flexible early childhood system of care, and we had invested in the concept of collective impact…We were proud of the continuum of prenatal developmental therapeutic and parenting services available to Palm Beach County families…But we also recognized there was a gap for families who needed even more support in our early childhood system of care. Child First fills that gap.”

The Child First program is an example of how community organizations can work in partnership by tapping into each organization’s unique strengths and reducing duplication of services for the good of all. With funding from Children’s Services Council, Center for Child Counseling and Families First lead the charge in providing the therapeutic interventions. Since its inception, Child First has served 1,790 families to change Palm Beach County for the better.

Min-Harris stated, “Wow, almost 2,000 families served…That is a testament to the dedication, the commitment, the heart-centered hard work that you bring to the communities and children and families that you serve. As President and CEO of Changent, I couldn’t be prouder to be in partnership with you. And that’s because those partnerships matter. We’ve heard this in the room, how important those community partnerships are and that is how we are going to strengthen the systems of care, so more children and families can thrive because that is how we are going to move the needle.”

Today, Changent aims to replicate Child First’s exemplary program in Florida alongside the almost 300 organizations they are in partnership with across the country, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and several Tribal Communities, serving almost 60,000 families a year.

The event also recognized three individuals with the Community Champion Award: Dr. Williams-Taylor, Judge Kathleen Kroll, and Tammy Fields. These three champions help strengthen mental health and relationships for families, infants, and young children through the Child First program.

For more information on Child First, visit: familiesfirstpbc.org/child-first/.