Strengthening relationships between parent and child is paramount to preventing abuse and neglect while simultaneously supporting learning, behaviors, and social connections necessary for lifelong success, health, and happiness. For all families, access to high quality parenting education, mental health services, and early education can mitigate negative outcomes caused by toxic stress, poverty, abuse, and other adverse environments. Yet, in our community our children and families need more support as these statistics show:

• 52 percent of babies in Sarasota are born into poverty (First 1,000 Days, 2018)
• In 2018, 593 children in Sarasota and Manatee Counties were removed from their homes (Florida Department of Children and Families, 2018)
• 73 percent of parents say parenting is their biggest challenge (Zero to Three, 2016)
• 1 in 5 American children suffers from a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder (CDC)
• Only 49 percent of Manatee County children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade; 68 percent in Sarasota (The Sarasota-Herald Tribune, 2018).

After 25 years of serving over 40,000 families in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Forty Carrots knows the many ways families’ needs can manifest, regardless of socioeconomic status, family background, age, and other factors. Every family deserves information, resources, and support. With 17 nonprofit partners across 30 locations and at Forty Carrots Family Center in Sarasota, Forty Carrots works to strengthen families through its three areas of expertise: Parenting Education, Mental Health Services, and Early Childhood Education. 

Agency Goals

• Ensure positive outcomes, both short-term and long-term, for children;
• Build a community of capable, caring, and respectful young people;
• Provide parents with information, skills, and support to better equip them in the job of raising their children;
• Set the foundation for lifelong success through early childhood education that nurtures a child’s social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development;
• Promote positive, productive relationships between parents/caretakers and their children;
• Prevent child abuse and neglect.

Infographic: 93 percent of clients served received services at no cost to them.

Rated 4-Stars by Charity Navigator, Forty Carrots fundraises to continue to provide services at no or low cost to clients. But even with its current reach, Forty Carrots still turns away over 400 families a year. To find out how you can help children and families in your community, call Forty Carrots CEO Michelle Kapreilian at (941) 365-7716.