The Florida state Capitol, usually bustling with representatives and senators, was instead abuzz with laughter and excitement as Florida’s Children’s Week began its festivities at the Capitol.
Tents of organizations participating in the festivities lined the walkways, and children sat at the “reading village” and listened as volunteers read their stories.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the event, which began as a single day and now has spread into an entire week aimed at supporting and expressing the concerns of over 4 million children who call Florida home.
Felicia Thomas of Sunshine Health, a sponsor of the event, began the press conference. “It is truly an honor to welcome you to Children’s Day 2025; it is one of our absolute favorite days of the year,” she said.
The press conference continued with several speakers, including Charlene Zane, the CEO of Sunshine Health, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, Paul Burns, Senior Chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, and Florida State Representative Jennifer Canady.
“This week is more than just banners and handprints,” said Rep. Canady. “Everyone up here is committed to, and we are working together for the good of Florida’s children and our future. These are not just talking points; this is our why, and these are our guiding principles.”
Sky Beard, the Florida Director for No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding Florida’s children, explained the importance of Children’s Week in bringing up concerns to lawmakers.
“Children’s week is a great opportunity every year to come together as child advocates,” said Sky Beard. “It’s a great time to connect with policymakers and to see the over 2,500 kids roam around the capitol.”
Beard also explained the growing importance of organizations like No Kid Hungry as more families grapple with food insecurity.
“Right now, we’re looking at about one in five kids in Florida living in homes where that next meal is really not guaranteed,” said Beard.
This year’s central talking point for the organization was getting lawmakers to tackle the issue of summertime food insecurity for children.
“Florida has an opportunity through a program called Sun Bucks to alleviate summer hunger for children,” Beard said. “As of now, we are one of about 11 states that aren’t doing so.”
Erin Smeltzer, the CEO of the Children’s Forum, which was the organizing partner of the event, discussed the planning and setup process for the massive Children’s Day celebration.
“My team is the magic behind this; they have gotten this down to a science, and they care so deeply about the heart of this mission,” Smeltzer said.
Smeltzer also discussed some of the changes made this year, including the new storybook garden, an area designed with children who have special needs in mind.
Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna was also at Children’s Day.
“It brings me back to ground zero, the reason that I entered this profession 37 years ago, and it is always a fun time to be back around students,” Hanna said.
Hanna also emphasized the importance of Public schools in meeting the needs of students with special needs and his concern over the diversion of funding for public schools, “Unfortunately, the legislature is funding a program and diverting money away from our public schools and away from helping children with special needs.”
The festivities will continue throughout the week with Teen Day at the Capitol on Wednesday and a virtual Thoughtful Thursday event. The hand-made creations of hundreds of students will remain in the State Capitol until Friday as part of the “celebration of the hands” event.