Palm Beach County Commission to Rule on Children Services Council Request for Referendum on November 2014 Ballot
Posted by Ed Jones on February 3, 2014 · 3 Comments
At its February 4th meeting the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners will rule on the Children’s Services Council request to get the reauthorization vote on this coming November ballot. This is a terrific opportunity for Palm Beach County voters and taxpayers to make an informed decision regarding the continuation of a special taxing district.
The Palm Beach Children’s Services Council (http://www.cscpbc.org/ ) is one of 8 special taxing districts in the state (Hillsborough, Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Pinellas are the others).The Palm Beach taxing district, which levies a tax directly on Palm Beach County real estate (2012 mil rate was .7459), was authorized by Florida Statute in 1986 and created by local referendum on November 4, 1986. For the current year, $80.2 million of an approximately $100 million budget is allocated through 66 grants to 38 organizations. Ten (10) organizations receive 80% of the funds.
The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, the recipient of more than a third of the taxing district’s revenue, runs a school readiness and voluntary pre-kindergarten program. Based on the 2012 Annual Report the total expenditures were $87 million with the Childrens Services Council contributing about 25% of that amount.
The Children Service Council does received a ton of funding to provide quality services to our community. The Children Service Council does provide funding to The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County which distributes fund to local childcare centers for services rendered to parents.
Here is my issue with the Children Services CEO Tana Ebboble and Early Learning Ceo Warren Elridge they both earn an excess of six figure income and both CEO have no understanding of low-income families.
They treat the families as if were uneducated, poor and have no comprehension of the truth when it comes to quality childcare. They do not allow parents to choose their preferred provider but instead forces to go to school outside our neighborhood and sometimes into a total different demographic.
My entire family was recently kick out of a childcare center because CEO Tana Ebboble just decided to stop funding the daycare center. Wow, I cried, My child cried my entire family was devastated. After years of being place at a local center, we had to be uprooted with no little notice.
Does she consider how this affects my child psychologically? Now we have to go to a new daycare and there is limited to no space available. I have lost several days of work because of this and now I have to find childcare.
I thought the purpose off the parents having childcare was so that we could work and have quality care for our children?
Well, Tana I’m probably going too be unemployed, thanks to you and now I have to stay home and take care of my child. You really need to consider the children… All this money I see that CEO Tana CEO Warren gets and this is how you treat us. Well, as a parent I want you to know that I see how badly you treat the parents that your suppose to be helping and I hope that you do not receive this money.
You highlight one of the challenges with the creation of taxing entities ( like Children’s Services Council ) that have no accountability to the taxpayer.
Salaries can rise unchecked just as you accurately describe.
The periodic referendum ( on the ballot in November) is the only way that the taxpayer and citizen can hold this taxing district accountable.
A NO vote in November will require not only CSC, but also all of the organizations to whom it funnels money, to adjust the business plan. What is truly valuable will survive in a more financially and programmatically sustainable form.
ABSALOUTLY! I AGREE WITH THE ABOVE PARENT. I am a licensed Large Family Child Care Home Provider. THE PARENTS DONT HAVE PARENTAL CHOICE! The Parent Counselours refer the parent(s) to different programs to gravitate them away from CSC FUNDED PROGRAMS OUTRIGHT! THIS IS NOT FAIR.
Parents should have “REAL PARENTAL RIGHTS” MEANING ANY LICENSED CHILD CAERE PROVIDER WITH A CONTRACT WITH FAMILY CENTRAL/EARLY LEARNING COALITION, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR ALL…CHILD CARE RECEIPIENTS.
IT SHOULD BE THE PARENTS CHOICE AS TO WERE THEIR CHILDREN ATTENDCHILD CARE. FUNDING SHOULD NOT BE SPLIT UP IN SEPERATE POTS TO BE SPOON FED TO “CERTAIN PROVIDERS”