Council Update: CSC-funded programs meet challenges under difficult circumstances

Staff of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County completed the Annual Comprehensive Program Performance Assessment (CPPA) of funded programs and shared results with the Council’s board at its most recent meeting. CPPA is one of several tools used during the contract year to assess the performance of individual programs, evaluate the extent to which programs are helping families reach their goals and identify opportunities for improvement. 
Of the 28 maternal/child health programs contracted to provide direct services to children and families: 21 achieved high fidelity, meaning they were implemented as intended, and 7 achieved moderate fidelity; 21 achieved intended outcomes, 3 achieved moderate outcomes and 4 achieved low outcomes.
Of the 9 programs that support the Healthy Beginnings System of Care as a whole, rather than individual children and families: 8 achieved high fidelity and 1 achieved moderate fidelity.
CSC staff determined that providers were effective in achieving most targets related to maternal/child health and prevention of child abuse and neglect. However, there were some areas where outcomes fell short – including breastfeeding, healthy births and developmental targets. After careful evaluation, particularly examining circumstances related to the ongoing pandemic (including challenges to filling open positions), staff determined that no performance improvement plans were necessary for any program.

In other business

Election of Council Officers: The Council voted to keep the same slate of officers this year. Thomas Bean will remain chair, Jose Luis Rodriguez will remain vice chair, and Vincent Goodman will remain secretary.

Excellence in Financial Reporting: CSC again achieved the Certificate of Achievement Award in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. CSC has received this award for all fiscal years since 2012. This certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Multicultural Community Engagement: Staff shared with the council a plan to expand outreach efforts in new and unique ways to Spanish-speaking families through a targeted social media and community outreach campaign. As part of a contract with CRL Media, CSC will strengthen its work in engaging with resident and in providing information to Spanish-speaking communities about access to family resources.