Council Update: Council proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month

More than a thousand children in Palm Beach County were victims of abuse or neglect in fiscal year July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. While the child abuse rate is down from the previous year, two children died from abuse in the county last year and more than 47 percent of abuse victims were under age 5. Disproportionately, nearly 43 percent of children under age 5 who were abused/neglected were African American, even though African-American children make up about 30 percent of all children under age 5 in the county. 
To raise awareness and continue to do our part to ensure children grow up healthy, safe and strong, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County’s board proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month at its most recent meeting.
Substance misuse, inadequate supervision, domestic violence and physical injuries were the most common reasons children were removed from their homes. Last year, 274 children were removed from their homes because of substance misuse. That’s why Palm Beach County child advocates implemented the Plan of Safe Care initiative, in an effort to ensure infants prenatally exposed to misused substances (both legal and illegal) and their families receive services to support recovery and resilience. 

In other business

BRIDGES of Boynton Beach: The Council approved increasing the allocation for BRIDGES of Boynton Beach, operated by Pathways to Prosperity, to support the transition of a navigator position. The allocation will increase by $35,000 to $593,189.

Community Empowerment Project: The Council approved an agreement with the Palm Beach County School Board and Prime Time Palm Beach County to support the Community Empowerment Project. Under the agreement, Prime Time will contract with local content experts to provide a variety of hands-on activities to afterschool and summer programs located in Title I schools or community centers in Riviera Beach, South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee. Prime Time will target talent from the local community, which often goes undiscovered, to support high-quality, youth-centered learning opportunities. 
The school district will provide Prime Time with $200,000 for services, while CSC will provide up to $95,000 to support administration of the program. Prime Time will hire a coordinator to provide program oversight. 

Under Expenditures: The Council approved re-purposing under expenditures for more summer camp scholarships in an amount not to exceed $1.7 million. The Council also approved using under expenditures for programs identified through the Great Ideas Initiative in an amount not to exceed $1.3 million.