Council Update: CSC invests in classroom supports for child care programs

Following recommendations from a resident-led committee, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County’s board at its August meeting approved contracts to deliver child development and classroom supports to publicly funded child care programs in the county. These services will strengthen children’s social-emotional and behavioral wellbeing, while also supporting staff who work directly with young children and their families. 

In 2023, CSC began re-imagining the resources it offered programs and families who participate in formal child care to create better experiences and services for children and families in our community. From May through September of that year, CSC held a series of engagements to include the community's voice in decision-making. CSC received feedback from 577 residents (291 child care professionals and 286 parents/caregivers) through both in-person and virtual small group discussions, as well as individual interviews and online surveys. 

After analyzing the information gathered, CSC staff identified four primary themes: Child Care Accessibility; Child Development and Wellness; Parent-Teacher Relationship and Mutual Support; Recruitment and Retention of Staff. CSC then invited those directly involved in early childhood education to participate in a Resident Advisory Committee to help make recommendations to CSC’s board. This request for proposal was a direct result of those recommendations.

CSC received eight submissions for this request for proposals. Of those, the review committee chose two organizations with which to begin contract negotiations: The Children’s Place at Home Safe and Center for Child Counseling. The total for the two contracts will not exceed $3 million for a one-year term with an option to renew.

In other business

Great Ideas Initiative: This year, 22 nonprofits were awarded funding through CSC’s Great Ideas Initiative. The nonprofits were chosen by a diverse review committee, which included community members and college interns as well as CSC staff. The awards total $924,084.
Since 2016, CSC has invested more than $5.1 million in grassroots nonprofits (with operating budgets of less than $1 million) through the Great Ideas Initiative. This year’s awardees are:

   • Raw Academic Services, Inc: Triple R (Read. Reflect. Relate.)
   • Federation of Families of Florida, Inc.: Woosah Garden Retreat
   • Healthy Wealthy Body and Brain Incorporated: Mind Explorers: Feel, Create, Grow
   • West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition: Regenerating Roots
   • St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc: Programs of Hope
   • CAPE Universal: Cultural Arts Program
   • FEEDING HOPE VILLAGE: Bridging the Gap Through Community-Driven Support
   • VISUAL ADJECTIVES SEEDS: SEEDS of Creativity
   • JUNETEENTH OF PBC, INC: Globally and Culturally Curated
   • My Own Home Project: My Own Home Project
   • The Jacob S. Zweig Foundation (dba In Jacob’s Shoes): SOS/A-Sneakers Outfitted for Scholars and Athletes
   • CityHouse Inc.: Home and Hope
   •  Wellington Community Foundation, Inc.: Wellington’s Special Needs Partner
   • Tabernacle Learning Center, Inc.: U.B. Kinsey Educational & Community Center
   • HER SOIL IS HER STORY, INC.: Elevate Belle Glade
   • Coalition for Black Student Excellence (dba Coalition for Black Student Achievement): Village Homework Hub
   • Q&A Foundation, Inc.:    Rooted to Rise
   • Community Birth Fund (dba Birth Equity Resource): Birth Equity Resource
   • The Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia: Building a String Orchestra and Self-Esteem-Expanding its Reach 
  •  Beyond the Valley: PEARL on the Go
   • Inner City Youth Golfers, Inc.: Golf Skills Development and Education Camps
   • Integrated Healthcare Systems Riviera, Inc.: RISE UP: Urban Pathways Leadership & Literacy Program

GII Capacity Building: Six previous Great Ideas Initiative recipients were awarded additional funding for capacity building by the Council. The funding provides resources and opportunities to GII awardees to improve and enhance their ability to deliver their mission now, and in the future. Capacity building funding is a two-year investment in the agencies to promote nonprofit sustainability. This year’s recipients are: 

-Family Resource Center of Palm Beach County
-Friends of Foster Children of Palm Beach County
-Hands and Feet, Inc.
-Inner City Innovators
-Interactive Community Alliance
-Kallai

CSC Gives Back: CSC staff and council members participated in two volunteer opportunities in July. Staff prepared 750 laundry bags with cleaning supplies for youth aging out of the foster care system. The bags were distributed through at least nine local nonprofits.

CSC staff also participated in the annual Back to School PBC! event on July 26, where more than 11,000 school children received new backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies, dental kits and hygiene products. Events took place at four locations: Palm Beach State College in Belle Glade, Edna W. Runner’s Tutorial Center in Jupiter, Village Academy in Delray Beach, and the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach. CSC provided $35,000, through an agreement with Spirit of Giving Network, to support the event.

Autism & Water Safety: Senior Communications Specialist Jon Burstein updated the Council on ongoing work to raise awareness of the risk of drowning for children with autism. Burstein shared information about a CSC-funded pilot project that provided individualized swim lessons, with specially trained instructors, to children with autism. He also shared that CSC is funding Autism Safety Boxes to be distributed to families with children newly diagnosed with autism. The boxes include door and window alarms, a home safety kit, a scent preservation kit and a checklist refrigerator magnet with instructions on what to do if a child with autism goes missing.  

Child Care Scholarships: The Council approved increasing its contract with the Early Learning Coalition by an additional $2 million to reduce the child care waitlist by between 250-300 children. The current waitlist has grown to about 1,100 children.