Council Update: Council keeps tax rate steady for a fourth year

The governing board of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County on Wednesday agreed to hold the 2026-2027 millage rate steady for the fourth year in a row at .4908.

In the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, the Council will fund programs that support its mission, so the community’s children are born healthy, grow up with safe and nurturing families, are ready to learn when they enter school and are successful as they enter adulthood. 

This upcoming year, the Council will continue to support families with young children while also funding more programs for youth ages 6-18. In addition, the Council is focused on bolstering grassroots organizations and provider capacity, expanding partnerships in the community and ensuring families receiving CSC services have access to basic needs. 

“We know that our community is stretched and wrestling with competing priorities,” said Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO of CSC. “That’s why we’re, once again, holding our tax rate steady while still emphasizing the importance of funding quality child care for working families and strengthening services for youth in the areas of academic success, mental health and financial literacy.” 

Under the 26-27 millage rate, a Palm Beach County owner of a single-family home with an assessed property value of $375,000 (with $50,000 in typical exemptions) will pay about $160 in ad valorem taxes to the Council. 

Nearly 93% of the Council’s overall budget will go to support children’s programs and services.

“For 40 years, Children’s Services Council has been a vital part of Palm Beach County,” Williams-Taylor said. “We are proud of the impact our programs have made and look forward to fulfilling our promise to support families in the upcoming year.”

In other business

Doula Program: The Council approved a contract with Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies to implement the Doula for Healthy Births Pilot Program. The contract for up to $204,287, administered through the Healthy Start Coalition with funding from the state, will run from Oct.1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The pilot’s goal is to improve maternal and infant health outcomes among prenatal and postpartum women who are experiencing or recovering from substance use disorders.

Social Worker Support for Attorneys: The council approved a contract with Support Not Stigma Counseling and Wellness to implement the Social Worker Support for Attorneys Pilot Project for up to $200,000. This pilot will fund up to two social worker positions to support attorneys who represent parents in the dependency system. The pilot’s goal is to connect parents with appropriate community-based resources that help reduce barriers to reunification, ensure children’s safety and strengthen families.

See CSC in Action Social Media Campaign: On August 26, CSC launched See CSC in Action, a coordinated social media campaign showcasing the impact of CSC-funded programs and partnerships throughout Palm Beach County. CSC-funded providers and community partners created short-form video highlighting their programs, services and impact in action. Due to the strong participation from providers and partners, CSC extended the campaign into a second day to highlight and amplify all participating organizations.

In total, the campaign generated 138 video Reels from 51 participating CSC-funded providers and partners, creating a strong collective presence on Facebook and Instagram. The campaign content reshared by CSC generated more than 239,000 impressions, 10,000 video views and 900 engagements on both platforms. 

These results reflect CSC’s reshared content alone and do not include the additional reach and engagement generated by providers’ and partners’ original posts. Through a coordinated social media effort, See CSC in Action highlighted the collective impact of CSC-funded programs, providers and partners working to support children and families throughout Palm Beach County.

Hunger Action Month Proclamation: The Council recognized September as Hunger Action Month, raising awareness that more than 200,000 Palm Beach County residents struggle with food security, including 54,000 children who do not have enough food to eat on a daily basis. CSC actively supports countywide hunger relief efforts and directly funds programs that alleviate local children’s food insecurity.