Children & Families First

OUR STORY

VISION STATEMENT

Children & Families First’s vision is a community where every young child can achieve and parents can succeed.

MISSION

Empowering and inspiring young children and families to build skills, resilience and confidence to fulfill their vision of success.

OUR VALUES

At Children & Families First, we believe that it is just as much how you approach the work as the importance of the work itself. We believe that every day, we want to hold to these values to exemplify what is important to our organization.

Family:  Our families, those we serve and those we live with, are why we are here. We believe that supporting families in their journey through this world with empathy, dedication and respect are the key to success for everyone.

Integrity:  We promise to act honestly with responsibility and accountability to our funders, partners, staff and families that we serve. We will work consistently in a fair and ethical manner in all that we do.

Compassion:  We believe that everyone has different gifts and skills.  We will demonstrate caring, encouragement and patience to guide our families on their path to success. We endeavor to see life and our work through the lens of the families we serve.  

Collaboration:  To have the greatest impact, we cannot work alone. We view collaboration as an opportunity to build meaningful relationships that enable us to collectively effect change.

Optimism:  We believe in the undiminished possibilities for every young child and adult to achieve at their highest level. For us, the point is not that the glass is half full, the point is that we have a glass that we can continue to fill.

Teamwork:  We are a professional team of staff and volunteers and we strive to create an inclusive work environment that fosters strong interpersonal relationships and continual enhancement of professional skills. We value honest interaction between team members to foster a positive, empowering work environment.

HISTORY

Children & Families First offers quality comprehensive programs for young children and families in Guilford and Rockingham Counties in collaboration with numerous community partners.

From our humble beginnings, a unique group of community organizations joined hands to consolidate into a single agency planning efforts to provide quality child care for low income families in Greensboro. The Metropolitan Council of Negro Women, the Greensboro Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, the Greensboro Housing Authority, the Greensboro Community Council, and various community leaders brought together a number of day care centers supported by the United Fund (now United Way of Greater Greensboro) into a single entity – United Day Care Services, Inc. (UDCS). UDCS’ services soon expanded to include High Point and all of Guilford County.

After three name changes through the years, UDCS is now Children & Families First, providing services to over 6,000 children and families a year through its six programs: Head Start/Early Head Start, Regional Child Care Resources & Referral, Nurse-Family Partnership, Learning Together Family Literacy Program, the Family Success Center, and the High Point Opportunity Center. Children & Families First currently has over 350 employees and is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Guilford County.

meet our amazing team

THE FACES BEHIND OUR SUCCESS

Our Staff

Maria Layne-Stevens

Chief Executive Officer

Larry Jones​

Chief Operating Officer

Melissa Martinez

Chief Fiscal Officer

Daintry O'Brien

Chief Development Officer 336-369-5006

Mishawne Carrington

Nurse-Family Partnership Program Director 336-369-5080

Martha Durhal

Head Start Director 336-369-5066

Aiysha Hall

Communications Director 336-369-5001

Sarah Roder

Chief Human Resources Officer 336-369-5041

Melissa Tearry

Learning Together Director 336-369-5050

Victoria Vample

Regional Child Care Resource & Referral Director 336-369-5034

Jaye Webb

Family Success Center Director 336-369-5060

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Executive Commitee

Odell Cleveland

Chair

Michele Deuterman

Chair, Communications Committee

Mark Hagenbuch

Treasurer

Stephen Martin

Immediate Past Chair

Renae Sigmon

Secretary

MEMBERS

Michelle Deuterman
Mark Hagenbuch
Donna Hood, RCCR&R Policy Council
Spencer Krantz

Karen LaParo
Valerie McMillan
Kathleen Mitchell
Senator Gladys Robinson

Tawana Roland
Melissa Shearer
Michelle Simaan
Chitra Soman
Angela Stanley

It takes big heart to Help shape little minds

-quoted from a loved teacher