Council Update: CSC steps in to support co-funded programs for youth, families

To ensure services to children and families remain uninterrupted, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County’s board approved an increase in support for 14 programs CSC co-funds with Palm Beach County’s Youth Services Department. 

At its April Council Meeting, the board approved nearly $2.1 million in additional funding for fiscal years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. The funds will  cover programs that address Parenting and Role Models, Educational Supports, Skills for Learning and Life, Ensuring Safety & Justice, and Health and Wellness. The funds also will support the City of Greenacres’s Teen Out-of-School Time program and Prime Time Palm Beach County’s summer camp enrichment program. 

In other business

Community Alliance: The Council approved match funding of $45,000 to continue to support a consulting agreement with Bryttany Stringer, on behalf of the Community Alliance of Palm Beach County. The Alliance provides community oversight of the local child welfare system. Quantum Foundation also is funding $45,000, for a total consulting cost not to exceed $90,000, from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027.

Great Ideas Initiative: With the Council’s approval to re-purpose up to $1 million in under expenditures, CSC will release its popular Great Ideas Initiative funding opportunity in early May. This initiative is designed to encourage nonprofits to creatively address a community need or fuel a pilot project that benefits Palm Beach County’s children and their families. Since 2016, CSC has funded 166 initiatives supporting Palm Beach County children and their families, investing over $5.9 million dollars through the Great Ideas Initiative (GII).

Hot Car Death Prevention: April is Hot Car Death Prevention Month in Florida, which ranks second in the nation for child heatstroke deaths. Children's Services Council partnered early in the month with Safe Kids Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue to highlight the dangers of leaving children in hot cars. At a news conference, CSC CEO Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor spoke about how most deaths are the result of a parent whose daily routine has been disrupted, and they forget their child is in the backseat. After the speakers, Fire Rescue held a simulation of a child being saved from a hot car. The event received coverage from WPTV Ch. 5, Channel 20 and the Sun Sentinel. 

Youth Summit: The 2026 Youth Summit, at Palm Beach Lakes High School in late March, opened with a message from CSC Council member and County Commissioner Joel Flores, and with musical hype master Wil Romelus of Digital Vibez, who invited Lisa Williams-Taylor to give a short welcome to the crowd, followed by the Palm Beach Lakes Marching Band and a drumming circle led by Cape Universal. 

More than 500 teens from all over Palm Beach County spent the day participating in workshops including Mental Health for You(th), Your Mind vs. Your Feed, Healing and Self Care through Creativity, Sex Trafficking/Human Trafficking, Piggy Banks to Paycheck, a mock trial and cooking expo. The Youth Summit provided a meaningful day of engagement, learning, community and fun. CSC staff served as volunteers, providing assistance during several workshops for youth and parents. Staff also hosted a resource table at the Parent Conference to share information about summer camp scholarships and other community resources.

Community Mural Project: The Greenacres Community Mural Project, funded by CSC, brought together about 30 students from the City of Greenacres Youth Program for a series of creative workshops led by Jose Mendez. Throughout the sessions, students explored new art mediums, experimented with different techniques and had fun expressing their ideas about what it means for their community to be healthy, safe and strong. Mendez guided the artistic vision, while his team of teaching assistants worked closely with the students, helping them develop ideas, supporting their creative process and encouraging collaboration. 
With the design phase now complete, Mendez is preparing the final mural layout based on the students’ concepts. In the next phase, students and community members will help paint the mural during guided paint-by-numbers sessions, continuing the sense of creativity, confidence and community connection built throughout the workshops!

Familias Latinas Townhall: CSC’s Familias Latinas Facebook group hosted a virtual townhall, “Conoce a CSC: Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach,” in April to provide an overview of CSC’s role in the community, as well as the services available to children and families. The Spanish-language event, moderated by news broadcaster Carlos Mahecha, featured guest speakers Nancy Esparza, program officer at CSCPBC, and Elisa Bravo, chief program director at Families First of PBC. More than 100 participants joined the live broadcast simultaneously, generating strong engagement with 12K views, 47 comments and 93 reactions. 
Bell Seal Recipient: Mental Health America has recognized the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County as a 2026 Platinum Recipient of the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, the nation’s leading recognition for U.S. employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

Bell Seal Recipient: Mental Health America has recognized the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County as a 2026 Platinum Recipient of the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, the nation’s leading recognition for U.S. employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.