Celebrating 60 years of leadership in early education and family support, Episcopal Children’s Services (ECS4Kids) brought back its Children’s Champion Awards to honor individuals and organizations whose leadership, advocacy and volunteer service have expanded opportunities for children and families across Florida and Georgia. The October 29th event brought together leaders from government, business, education and the nonprofit sector to celebrate the partnerships that help children and families thrive.
The 2026 Children’s Champion honorees include:
- Sen. Jennifer Bradley, State Advocacy Award: Recognized for championing state funding and policies that support early childhood education, including School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten and Summer Bridge programs. Bradley sponsored ECS4Kids’ Summer Bridge funding request, securing its approval in the Florida Senate to support continued learning opportunities for young children in Northeast Florida.
- Tom Bryan, Individual Award: Honored for his longstanding leadership, advocacy, and steadfast support for ECS4Kids, including serving as Board President from 2005 to 2007. During his tenure, ECS4Kids expanded its early learning programs, increased enrollment and extended its service area. Bryan also helped establish the original Children’s Champion event more than two decades ago.
- Christ Church of Ponte Vedra, Volunteer Organization Award: Recognized for its longstanding partnership with ECS4Kids’ Rhoda Martin center in Jacksonville Beach. Church volunteers support classroom activities, family events and parent engagement while providing essential resources, including food, diapers and playground improvements.
- Lindsay Fontana, Individual Volunteer Award: Recognized for a decade of service at ECS4Kids’ Success Center in Clermont, Florida. Fontana has connected children with arts, sports and other enrichment opportunities, secured resources for playground improvements and helped create a sensory garden for early learning.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also received the Children’s Champion Local Advocacy Award for her leadership in making access to quality childcare a priority for the city. Her administration convened the Childcare Solutions for Early Learning Task Force, bringing together leaders from business, education, health and the nonprofit sector, along with parents, to develop recommendations for improving childcare access. ECS4Kids President and CEO Dr. Natalya Bannister Roby serves on the task force, contributing the organization’s early learning expertise and perspective from the families it serves.
“Childcare is critical infrastructure. It’s just as real as our roads and bridges,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, noting that childcare disruptions cost an estimated $5.38 billion a year in lost economic potential in Florida. “Organizations like ECS4Kids are the backbone of a stronger Jacksonville. When we invest in them, we are investing in our workforce, our employers, and our economy.”
Since its founding in Jacksonville in 1966, ECS4Kids has grown into a leading early childhood education organization, serving nearly 30,000 children and families across 24 counties in Florida and Georgia. ECS4Kids not only provides early education and comprehensive family support, it strengthens the quality of early learning through hands-on classroom coaching and workforce development.
“To be a true poverty interrupter, we have to think about the whole continuum, from birth to career,” said Dr. Natalya Bannister Roby, President and CEO of ECS4Kids. “It starts at the very beginning, with our youngest children and their parents.”
The Children’s Champion tradition began more than two decades ago, with then-Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton receiving the inaugural recognition for his commitment to children and early literacy. Over the years, the awards have celebrated influential civic, business and community leaders, including former Mayor John Delaney, former Sheriff Nathaniel Glover and philanthropist Delores Barr Weaver. The annual tradition was paused in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of the awards during ECS4Kids’ 60th anniversary year honors that legacy of community leadership and shared commitment to children.
View photos from Children’s Champion below or at this link.
