1. The Children's Services Council of Broward County (CSC) is a special unit of government created by voters in 2000 to coordinate and fund services, for and on behalf of, children in our community.
2. The CSC gets less than 2 cents of every dollar paid in property taxes. Those tax dollars are solely dedicated to providing money for a wide variety of programs designed to help every child lead a healthy, safe and productive life. In Fiscal Year 08-09, 130 programs were delivered by close to 100 provider agencies throughout the county.
3. To ensure accountability to the Broward taxpayer, funded programs have clearly defined goals, outcomes and measures and are regularly monitored for program quality and performance and administrative accountability. Funding awards are based on models which have been proven to work and have a demonstrated return on investment.
4. Expected outcomes include such things as: improved academic performance (School Readiness, MOST & Summer), improved family functioning (Family Strengthening), reduction in crime (ROK’N & New DAY), increased self-sufficiency (Special Needs, Future Prep and a Prosperity Campaign).
5. The CSC is the leading source of funding for children & family services in Broward County.
6. Since the CSC began operation, Broward County has seen a dramatic decline in:
• School drop-outs;
• Youth violence;
• Delinquency;
• Youth alcohol abuse;
• Teen pregnancy;
• As a result of CSC funded intervention and prevention programs, Broward exceeds as a state leader with regards to juvenile diversion and delinquency prevention.
7. The CSC’s investment in Earned Income Tax Credit education and outreach over the past seven years has brought over $90 million in additional dollars to our community. During the 2008 tax season, the CSC’s partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program drew down over $6 million additional dollars that went directly in the hands of Broward residents at no cost to them.
8. Last year, over 9,000 children in Broward County participated in nurturing and academically enriching summer programs where:
• 88% showed improved reading skills;
• 82% showed improved math skills;
• 88% showed increased knowledge about healthy foods;
• 85% of children with special needs showed improved communications skills.
9. The CSC works with other community partners to combat childhood obesity. Commit 2B Fit, a CSC funded program works to eradicate this leading health issue for all our children.
10. By providing administrative support to the CCB/CSC Million Meals Committee, the CSC is at the forefront in county-wide efforts to eradicate hunger in our community. We also funded the first-ever Broward County Hunger Survey to better meet the long term needs of the County and partnered with Volunteer Broward to produce and promote Field of Food, a county-wide effort to get 1 million pounds of food to food banks, soup kitchens and community pantries.
11. The CSC subsidizes child care for working families, allowing them to remain employed rather than depend upon public benefits for housing, health care, food and other services.
12. The CSC helps Broward teens with special needs become independent, self-sufficient and productive members of our community funding programs that provide relevant work experience.
13. The CSC collaborates with WorkForce One to support the Summer Youth Employment Program for high school students (SYEP), ensuring them a productive and safe summer while participating in a meaningful summer job experience.
14. Summer and year round employment programs funded through STEPS and LIFT helped hundreds of youth with special needs train for and acquire employment. In Fiscal Year 2008-09:
• 68% of youth improved skills in conversation, functional literacy phone skills and problem solving;
• 62% of youth improved in daily living skills;
• 55% of youth improved employability skills;
• % of youth improved social skills at community events.
15. The CSC’s Healthy Choices program has significantly contributed to the decline in Broward’s teenage pregnancy rate. Of the nearly 1,700 youth served by Healthy Choices:
• 68% demonstrate improved problem-solving ability;
• 100% do not become pregnant or, if male, will not be responsible for causing pregnancy;
• 64% improved their grades and /or other school success factors;
• 58% increased their knowledge about birth control and the benefits of delayed sexual activity.
16. CSC funding supports three initiatives that support literacy:
• The “Born to Read” program in partnership with the Broward Public Library Foundation, City of Hollywood and Memorial Healthcare;
• “Afterschool @ Your Library” in partnership with the Broward County Libraries Division; and
• Get the Scoop on Reading summer literacy campaign in partnership with Borders bookstores and KISS Country FM.
17. Maximizing Out of School Time (MOST) programs provide daily academic, fitness and cultural arts components after school, on non-school days and on days of early release. Currently, there are over 100 MOST program sites throughout Broward County at a variety of community locations and public school campuses. All programs incorporate the following best practice strategies:
• Daily homework assistance and academic remediation;
• Daily fitness activities;
• Nutritional education and healthy snacks;
• Cultural arts exposure; and
• Educational and recreational field trips.