Children First’s mission is to empower children and their families to reach their full potential through advocacy, education and services.  The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

A community where children and youth are highly valued and are provided the maximum opportunity to reach their full potential.

Find out more about Communities In Schools of North Carolina.

Find out more about Communities In Schools National.

Children First/Communities In Schools (CIS) is committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the organization.

At Children First/CIS, we are committed to empowering children and families to reach their full potential through advocacy, education, and services and to surround students with a community of support, helping them to achieve in school and in life.

Children First/CIS stands against racism, inequity, and injustice. For over 40 years, we have worked to address social and economic injustices by promoting family-friendly public policy, assisting families in the community with basic needs and financial support, and working with students to help them thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. We recognize that the entrenched injustices in our society are greater than any one organization can address. All of us at Children First are committed to serving children and families in our community while advocating for systemic change to remedy decades of inequitable and unjust policies.

We stand for eliminating racism. We stand for equity. We stand for justice.