KidsFirst Nomination

The people who work directly with families often give much more than their job duties require and rarely get the recognition and priase they deserve. The KidsFirst Awards is dedicated to the belief that children should be a community’s first priority. Human services professionals who work with children are on the front lines of the fight to put kids first and the Cooperman-Bogue KidsFirst Awards honors them.

The Cooperman-Bogue KidsFirst Cooperman Bogue Awards began eighteen years ago and is named for Leonard Cooperman and Judge Lincoln C. Bogue. These two men, critical to the founding of JWB, always put kids first. Their advocacy led to the creation of the Juvenile Welfare Board in 1946. Their legacy continues today with the KidsFirst Awards.

Nominations will be accepted through 12/17/2012, and must meet the guidelines as outlined on this page. Each quarter, one outstanding worker will be selected to be honored at his or her workplace and will receive $500 cash in addition to special prizes. They will be featured on JWB-TV and Bright House Networks cable. Then, they will be honored at an annual banquet, where one will be named the recipient of the Annual KidsFirst Award. The annual winner’s photo will be displayed for a year in the JWB building and the winner will receive $2,000.

General Information:

• Human service professionals may be nominated for exemplary services rendered during the time period of 1/1/2012 and 12/17/2012.
• Additional materials will not be accepted or used in support of the nomination.
• Nominations will not be returned.
• All nominations will be reviewed and judged by a panel of community representatives according to the criteria requested on the nomination form.
• The awards are made quarterly. All eligible nominations remain active throughout the year.
• Nominations are encouraged throughout the year. The earlier a nomination is made, the greater the nominee’s chances of winning.
• Nomination deadlines are April 2nd for the first Quarterly Award; July 2nd for the second Quarterly Award; October 1st for the third Quarterly Award and December 17th for the fourth Quarterly Award.
• All nominations must be submitted electronically at www.JWBPinellas.org/kidsfirst-nominations or mailed to the address provided below. Each mailed nomination must include all of the information and answers requested on this nomination form. Mail to: 2011 KidsFirst Awards c/o Eddie Burch JWB Children’s Services Council 14155 58th Street North Clearwater, FL 33760

• For additional information, call (727) 547-5676.

Criteria for Selection:

 Nominee consistently performs above and beyond job description and requirements to serve the children and families of Pinellas County.
 Nominee is an inspiration to co-workers and/or clients.
 Nominee’s efforts have helped improve the condition of a group or individual.
 Nominee is an employee in good standing– not a manager or executive director – of a Pinellas County employer. The nominee’s primary duties are to provide direct service to children and/or families. The following are some examples of employer/employee categories:

o Child care center or family childcare home
o Public or not-for-profit agencies serving children or families with children
o Public or private school employees who are not classroom teachers, such as social workers or counselors

 The nominee may not be an employee or family member of the JWB Children’s Services Council Administration or any sponsoring organization.