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DONATE

Support CFA

Our vision for Baltimore’s children is grounded in the voices of the community – and we want to build on our 25 years of reach and influence to achieve greater outcomes for children and families.

Your support will help us:

.

Expand our reach to serve more schools and more families​

Increase physical, social, and mental health partnerships

Diversify our funding to sustain current programs

Broaden our program offerings to better engage middle schoolers  

Reestablish our advocacy presence in the education and youth development landscape.

What can you do to help?

Learn more about Child First.

Visit our website at childfirstauthority.org, where you can read stories about our work and download our latest annual report.

Stay connected.

Join our mailing list, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter so you don’t miss any news about how we’re advancing our work.

Attend an event.

Our free annual showcase, Show What You Know, features performances and exhibits by students across our partner schools demonstrating what they do after school every day. Join us each May in seeing the amazing things young people can do!

Support public education funding.

Let state and city officials know the importance of investing in students.

Give a gift and watch it make a difference.

Here are a few things even a modest gift can do for our students:

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SUBSCRIBE & STAY UP TO DATE WITH CHILD FIRST

Donate Today!

Give a gift and watch it make a difference. Here are a few things even a modest gift can do for our students:
1995/1996
1995/1996
Voter accountability session with the Mayoral candidates; Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development organized listening campaign with citizens that identified afterschool programming as key need in the city; City Ordinance granted that created Baltimore Child First Authority.
1996
1996
Kermit "KC" Burton named first Executive Director of Child First Authority.
1997
1997
Carol Dunston Reckling named Executive Director.
1997
1997
Governor Parris Glendening earmarked $500,000 in dedicated state funding to Child First Authority; earmark still exist in state budget today.
2000
2000
Grant from Abell Foundation to develop our own curriculum to boost academics in Out of School Time Program.
2000
2000
Received initial funding from
Family League of Baltimore.
2002
2002
“We are not leaving without a meeting.” Action against Department of Human Resources to maintain state earmark.
2004
2004
CFA held the first Show What You Know student showcase.
2008
2008
High Expectations - In partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools Office of Partnerships, Communications & Community Engagement, CFA worked with William H. Lemmel and Garrison Middle School students to create a school climate and culture that supports relationships of trust with students and their parents and facilitates intervention strategies.
2009
2009
CFA began CFA Art Core, an initiative that placed visual and performing community artists at each afterschool site to facilitate high-quality arts instruction.
2009
2009
Baltimore Education Coalition created and Child First serves as a lead organizing member
2012
2012
Family League launches Community School Strategy and CFA becomes lead agency for community schools and OST sites
2015
2015
CFA plays pivotal role in 21st Century Building Design process at Dorothy I. Height Elementary School (then John Eager Howard)
2016
2016
Carol Reckling retires after 19 years at the helm
2016
2016
Danista E. Hunte named 3rd Executive Director
2020
COVID-19
RESPONSE
2020
CFA Family and Community Engagement Team established during the global COVID-19 pandemic to share community resources and to provide family engagement workshops and events for parents and community
2020
2020
14 Community School Sites and OST sites
2020-21
2020-21
Provided virtual programming to children and families all while living through a global pandemic
2021
2021
Celebrating 25 Years!
Donate Today
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1995/1996
The Beginning
1996
CFA's First Executive Director Appointed
1997
Carol Dunston take charge
1997
$500,000 in State funding
2000
Support From the Abell Foundation
2000
Support From the Family League
2002
Funding In Jeopardy
2004
Spotlight on the kids
2008
High Expectations
2009
Art Core
2009
CFA Leads
2012
Community Schools
2015
21st Century Schools
2016
Carol Reckling retires
2016
Danista Hunte
2020
Covid-19 Response
2020
14
2020-21
Virtual Programming
2021
25 Years!
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Contact Us!

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