CSC News: $4.5 million in grants strengthen child care in Palm Beach County

Boynton Beach (FL) _ More than 500 child care providers received a one-time grant from Children’s Services Council as part of the organization’s long-term strategy to re-imagine early care and education in Palm Beach County.

With $4.5 million from Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, child care providers who accept School Readiness or Head Start funding received a one-time grant ranging from $6,000-$12,000, depending on the number of children they are licensed to care for. The Early Learning Coalition, which oversaw the funding disbursements, accepted applications for the mini-grants from Jan. 6 – Feb. 14. In all, 510 licensed child care providers – from home-based caregivers to large child care centers – received a grant in March.

“For nearly 40 years, Children’s Services Council has understood the vital importance of quality child care to our community,” said Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, Children’s Services Council’s CEO. “Getting creative in how we approach our work, and being open to new ideas from our community, is something we are very proud of. The mini-grants are just the first in a number of strategies to make child care even better in Palm Beach County.”

Children’s Services Council’s efforts to re-imagine early care and education began in May 2023 with a series of community meetings. In all, the Council received feedback from 577 residents – 291 child care professionals and 286 parents/caregivers. After analyzing the information gathered, Council staff identified four primary themes: child care accessibility; child development and wellness; parent-teacher relationship and mutual support; and recruitment and retention of staff.

In October 2023, Children’s Services Council formed a Resident Advisory Committee made up of family members, child care providers, teachers and staff to analyze the data and make recommendations. The 15-member committee identified mini-grants as one of the strategies to help child care programs address key issues highlighted in the report.

"The Coalition is honored to partner with Children’s Services Council on the mini-grant program, empowering our county early learning providers to build capacity and enhance their program quality,” said Warren Eldridge, the Early Learning Coalition’s CEO. “We deeply value their dedication to our youngest learners and their families. Investing in early learning shapes a brighter future for our community.”  

With the additional funds, child care providers are implementing plans to enhance quality at their sites.

“We used the funding to bring learning to recess,” said Tiffany Hodges, Owner/Operator of Bright Beginnings Childcare. “We created an outdoor classroom, which includes shelving, tables, manipulatives, blocks, art and so much more. They absolutely love It! Thank you again, CSC, for making it all possible!”

Arebia Ramsey-Morris, district manager of First Impressions, said she’s using the funding to support her staff.

“The mini-grants will make a major impact for our four preschools and teachers in Palm Beach County,” she said. “It will assist our teachers financially so they can commit to our students 100% and retain them to ensure consistency for our families we serve in the community.”