Worst To First Partners – making Florida a place for children again.
As the 4th largest state in the country, and one of the most prosperous, Florida should be a leader in the health, education, and investment we make in our children’s future. But instead of being first, or even among the upper half of states on indicators of child well-being, we are in the bottom 10 to 15 and competing for 50th with Mississippi and Texas in how well we care for our children. It’s time to act.
WorstToFirst.org serves to link children’s groups together in a statewide community and increase their influence.
The Children’s Forum continues to serve as a statewide, not-for-profit organization with an uncompromising vision to make Florida a quality child caring state.
This vision is supported by the belief that every young child in the state can, and should, receive quality education and care. To this end, the Forum has consistently demonstrated an ability to efficiently maximize resources as a service-based clearinghouse of information, data, research, advocacy and training for the state’s early care and learning industry.
Children’s Home Society of Florida
Abused. Abandoned. Forgotten. These are the children we protect, guide and love. They count on us for comfort and nurturing. But most of all, they need us for safety and for hope.
For more than a century, Children’s Home Society of Florida has provided opportunities for children and families in our communities. We invite you to join us in our mission of Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.
Early Childhood Association of Florida
The Early Childhood Association of Florida (ECA of FL) is the largest professional organization for people working in the early care and education field in the state of Florida. The mission of the Early Childhood Association of Florida is to support early childhood professionals by providing leadership, advocacy, and professional development opportunities.
Early Learning Coalitions of Florida
The Association of Early Learning Coalitions (AELC) is an organization comprised of thirty one (31) Early Learning Coalitions throughout the State of Florida. The AELC supports the role of the Early Learning Coalitions to develop and administer a comprehensive school readiness program and voluntary pre-kindergarten program that prepares preschool children to succeed in school and in life. Each Early Learning Coalition’s service area is as unique as the population it serves, with some Coalitions serving a single county while others are serving two to seven counties.
Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Inc.
Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Inc. is a statewide network of families and individuals of all ages who may be at-risk, have disabilities, or have special needs and their families, professionals, and concerned citizens. Our mission is to ensure through collaboration that Floridians have full access to family-driven support, education, information, resources, and advocacy and to serve families of children with disabilities, ages birth through 26, who have the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
Florida Association of Children’s Hospitals
The Florida Center for Fiscal & Economic Policy
The Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy conducts independent research and educates the public and policymakers on state fiscal and economic policies with particular attention to their impact on low- and moderate-income families, individuals and small businesses.
Florida Children’s Services Council
Promoting policies that build effective primary prevention and early intervention systems of supports for Florida’s children and families by engaging and enhancing the collective strengths of the individual children’s services councils of Florida.
Florida Coalition for Children
The Florida Coalition for Children aspires to achieve safety, stability and security for the children and families in need. As such, our vision is a system of Child Welfare in Florida that is fully resourced, well managed and fulfills the needs of our abused and neglected children.
We are teachers and education staff professionals, working together to maintain the right to a free, quality public education system for all students to learn and succeed. We are working to advance professional growth, development and the status of all the employees who serve the students in Florida’s public schools.
Florida Guardian Ad Litem Foundation
The Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation works to support the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program through private fund raising. Currently, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program represents more than 29,000 abused and neglected children, but over 6,000 children are still in need of the voice in court. A guardian ad litem can provide that voice.
Florida Juvenile Justice Association
The Florida Juvenile Justice Association is a statewide organization that strongly supports a common sense approach to juvenile justice that treats young people fairly, holds them accountable for their actions and keeps our neighborhoods, schools and communities safe.
The Association brings together juvenile justice system professionals and agencies and private and non-profit corporations committed to improving Florida’s juvenile justice system for children and families.
The Florida Chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics/Florida Pediatric Society. The AAP is a national organization composed of over 60,000 pediatricians. There are currently over 2,100 members in Florida. The purpose of the Florida Pediatric Society/Florida Chapter of AAP is to promote the health and welfare of Florida’s children (newborns, infants, children, adolescents and young adults), and to support and promote the pediatricians and pediatric specialists who are the best qualified provider of their healthcare.
Florida PTA is the largest statewide volunteer organization working exclusively on behalf of children and youth. Founded in 1921 as a branch of the 6 million member National PTA, Florida PTA is made up of 1,341 local units with more than 361,807 Florida members seeking to unite home, school and community for all children.
As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization, Florida PTA is authorized to accept tax deductible charitable contributions in coalition with state and local agencies cooperating to influence policy makers on the health, education, welfare and safety issues affecting children and youth.
Any mother, father, teacher, principal, custodian, cafeteria worker, coach, counselor, grandparent, student, businessperson or citizen who believes that children are our future is a welcome part of our organization.
All children have the right to food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, property and personal privacy. Most children have parents who take care of their needs and protect their rights. But tens of thousands of children in Florida rely on state agencies to meet some or all of their needs. FCF exists to protect the rights of those children.
Healthy Families Florida provides free home visiting services to parents expecting a baby and parents of newborns. Healthy Families Florida is nationally accredited by Prevent Child Abuse America/Healthy Families America. This accreditation is only awarded to programs that are following best practice standards in home visitation.
Florida’s educators work hard to give every student an opportunity to receive a world class public education. Keeping quality teachers and education support professionals in our schools is not only important to our students, but to our collective future, as well. Research proves that quality teachers are the most important factor in providing an excellent education for Florida’s students.
A top priority must be recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers, which translates into higher student achievement rates. For example, statistics show the most effective teachers produce student gains almost four times greater than the least effective teachers. And in order to keep our excellent educators, proper training and professional salaries and benefits are vital.
Florida has a long, proud tradition of providing exceptional education to our students, and now is not the time to cut back on quality. We must continue to make our schools a priority.
March of Dimes Florida Chapter
The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida is a private, nonprofit corporation whose mission is to identify, fund, support and evaluate innovative prevention and early intervention programs that improve the health, education and life outcomes of Florida’s at-risk children and families.
The mission of the United Way of Florida is to enhance Florida United Ways’ efforts to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another.
Established in 1980, the United Way of Florida exists to serve Florida’s 34 local United Ways. Those United Ways are the linchpins in efforts to improve the quality of life in their communities. Areas of priority importance to the United Way of Florida include:
- Training for United Way staff and volunteers
- Administration of the Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign
- Leadership in Public Policy and
- Disaster Resources
Whole Child is not another program, but a philosophy that uses strategic planning, web-based technology, performance measurement and broad-based community engagement to build communities where everyone works together to make sure children thrive.
