2023 Paint the Night Blue Fundraiser – A Pasco Kids First 2nd Annual Black Tie Event by J. David Wright
The event is a night of dinner, music, and a robust silent auction to support the free programs that keep kids safe and strengthen families in our community. Photos were provided by J. David Wright.
Pasco Kids First is the only certified Sexual Abuse Treatment Program for Pasco and Hernando Counties. Their services are free, meeting the needs of thousands of children and families each year through our Trauma Treatment program, Child Protection Team, Healthy Families program, and SAFE Program. Your support helps make victims of abuse become survivors!
Blue is the child abuse prevention national color, and pinwheels are the symbol. The annual black tie event is a fundraiser for Pasco Kids First to support programs for physically and sexually abused children, those who have experienced neglect, witnessed a violent crime, or are survivors of human trafficking.
About Pasco Kids First:
Who We Are
Pasco Kids First Building in New Port Richey, Florida
Our Mission
Our mission is to keep kids safe, strengthen families through empowerment and enhance our community by preventing child abuse and healing children from trauma.
What We Do?
We foster the growth of happy and healthy children
Pasco Kids First (PKF) is a fully accredited Children’s Advocacy Center that offers a safe, neutral, and child-friendly place for children and adolescents who have experienced abuse, neglect, or witnessed a violent crime.
Our continuum of programs offers a unique way for our community to address the needs of victims and families. Before establishing the Child Advocacy Centers model, a typical child abuse victim would be interviewed an average of 9 times by different people, with different questioning styles and agendas.
We think there’s a better way. When a child abuse victim is interviewed so many times, it only increases trauma – a counterproductive way to conduct a solid investigation. PKF Child Advocacy Center brings together all parties within the investigation to one child-friendly, neutral location so that one interview can be conducted with all relevant parties represented.
Everyone’s questions are asked through a trained forensic professional skilled at interviewing children. The National Children’s Alliance reports that in municipalities where a Child Advocacy Center is utilized, there is a 40% increase in the successful prosecution of child abuse cases.
Strengthening Our Communities by Strengthening Families
Kids at a food drive
PKF also assists new parents in providing nurturing environments for their children through our Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando program as well as providing therapy services by licensed,
Master’s level therapists to those children traumatically affected by significant physical or sexual abuse through our Trauma Treatment Program serving clients in both Pasco and Hernando counties.