As Associate Director of Head Start/Early Head Start Services, Brigette Davis helps provide leadership and support to the entire agency. Ms. Davis serves on the Florida Head Start Association Board of Directors and is a UCLA Head Start Management Fellow. She holds an MA in Training & Development for the Early Childhood Professional from DePaul University.

As Director of Family Services, Meredith Mitchell provides oversight for parent engagement strategies to support family well-being. Through our award-winning Families First Institute, she empowers families to achieve success. She is a UCLA Head Start Management Fellow and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida.

As Director of Comprehensive Services, Wendy T. Harris supports the overall health and nutrition, early learning inclusion, and mental health of the children we serve. She served on the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children Chapter Advisory Council and Executive Board. She holds an MA in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University - St. Paul.

Combined, the three women share more than 53 years of service to the Children First mission and nearly 100 years of supporting the early childhood and Head Start communities. They work in collaboration across multiple generations in meeting the needs of children and families through the key components of education, health, family engagement, and social services.

About Children First

As Sarasota County’s exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services, Children First offers high-quality, comprehensive services to hundreds of at-risk children and families annually at multiple locations.

Ranked in the top 1% of over 1,800 programs nationwide, only nine other Head Start agencies throughout the country have achieved this level of recognition. Our agency is one of just two programs to receive this coveted designation four consecutive times.

Our mission is to strengthen children and families by improving the quality of their lives through a comprehensive approach to development, education, health, and well-being.

89% of families enrolled live at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($24,860 for a family of three) and receive comprehensive services at little to no cost.

1723 N. Orange Avenue,
Sarasota, FL 34234
childrenfirst.net
941-953-3877