Sometimes an hour can seem insignificant. It’s a meeting, lunch, a workout or a small piece of an otherwise busy day. At Pasco Kids First, an hour can mean something entirely different.
It can be an hour when a child feels safe enough to talk. An hour spent with a trained professional who understands trauma. An hour that begins to replace fear with trust and gives a child the tools to move forward.
That simple idea - the power of an hour - captures what Pasco Kids First represents: a community that works together to protect children, strengthen families and create hope after some of life’s most difficult moments.
As the organization continues that mission, it’s also welcoming new leadership. Rebecca Lamanski recently relocated to Florida from Connecticut after more than 20 years working in the nonprofit sector. She earned her master’s degree in social work administration from the University of Connecticut in 2016 and has built a career centered around vulnerable children and families.
Early in her career, Rebecca worked directly with high-risk parents, going into homes to provide parenting education. She helped parents learn nurturing techniques, develop stronger parenting skills and create healthier relationships with their children. Those experiences helped shape the philosophy she brings to Pasco Kids First today.
Although Rebecca is not a therapist, trauma-informed care and resiliency-focused practices have been important components of her work. She describes trauma-informed care as looking beyond someone’s behavior and asking, “What happened to you?” Resiliency takes it a step further. “What are your strengths? What is right with you?” she explained.
It also means identifying the people and protective factors in someone’s life that can help them heal. When the opportunity to join Pasco Kids First brought Rebecca from Connecticut to New Port Richey, she said the decision began with the organization’s mission. “When I read the mission of Pasco Kids First, and I looked at the website, and I looked at all of the social media, I knew right away that this was a good fit.” What stood out most was something else: a community that cares deeply about its children and families.
For Rebecca, the next chapter isn’t about arriving with predetermined answers. It begins with listening. Her priority is building relationships with families, businesses, donors, board members and community leaders. She wants to understand the community she now calls home and create a strong foundation of trust that supports the organization’s long-term sustainability. “Taking my time, listening, learning,” she said, “is an important part of that process.” A year from now, she hopes to look back and be able to say, “Look at all we’ve done.”
A Mission That Reaches Far Beyond One Moment
To understand that mission, you need to take a look at what happens once you walk inside its doors.
Jessica Smalley, Director of Outreach, Education and Development, has been with the organization for over two years. Her work includes community outreach, education, fundraising and helping people understand the services available to local families. According to Jessica, roughly 6,000 child abuse cases are reported annually in Pasco County. When reports come through the agency, the child protection team evaluates whether services such as medical examinations, forensic interviews and evidence collection are needed. From there, children may also be connected with advocacy and trauma therapy.
But the mission isn’t simply about responding to what has already happened. Pasco Kids First works to help children feel heard while giving a family resources to build safer, stronger and more sustainable family units. Advocates support victims and non-offending caregivers, while trauma therapy helps children develop resiliency and tools they can carry with them into the future.
Prevention is another significant part of the organization’s work. Programs such as Healthy Families provide education and support to parents before circumstances reach a crisis point. Jessica says the program has a 98% success rate. That education can include helping parents understand how to respond to a crying baby, develop alternative coping techniques and recognize the importance of caring for themselves so they can better care for their children.
The services Pasco Kids First provides do not create a financial burden for the families receiving them. And while grants fund a significant portion of the organization’s work, they don’t cover everything. Jessica said Pasco Kids First faces approximately a $350,000 annual gap between grant funding and the resources needed to provide services. The organization was once approximately 90% grant-funded. Today, she estimates that number is closer to 75%.
That is where the community and the power of an hour can make a very real difference. As caseloads increase, Jessica said there is a waiting list for children needing trauma therapy. The goal is to get children into services as quickly as possible rather than asking them to wait weeks after experiencing trauma. Even recurring gifts of $5 or $10 can add up and help make those services possible.
For businesses and residents looking for a place to make a lasting impact, Jessica encourages them to begin by touring Pasco Kids First. Seeing the work firsthand helps people understand the need and changes the conversation.
It’s about reaching children during a critical window, surrounding them with trained professionals and giving them tools to thrive. It’s about prevention. Healing. Resilience. And hope. And sometimes, making that difference starts with just one hour.