Council approves increased funding for Special Needs Children in Summer Care
LAUDERHILL, FL – For many parents, finding quality care for their children during the summer is difficult enough. That challenge increases dramatically for families with children with special needs. At their April meeting, members of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County (CSC) approved additional funding of 22 slots for summer camps at the YMCA of Broward County and Smith Community Mental Health, allowing for a total of 380 children with special needs to attend.
The CSC has been a major supporter of safe, supervised afterschool and summer programs for children and youth with special needs since its inception. Maximizing Out-of-School Time (MOST) programs for children with special needs offer smaller and more flexible staff to child ratios, and fun, educational activities such as SMILE Reading and Touch Math curricula.
More than 80 percent of children with special needs that attend CSC-funded MOST programs have improved reading and language development, while 100 percent of those attending improved their social interactions with teachers and other students. For more information on MOST programs and all other CSC funded programs, visit www.cscbroward.org.
The Children’s Services Council of Broward is an independent taxing authority which was established by a public referendum on Sept. 5, 2000, which, through Public Act, Chapter 2000-461 of the laws of Florida, authorized the Council to levy up to 0.5 mills of property taxes. The role of the Council is to provide the leadership, advocacy and resources necessary to enhance children’s lives and empower them to become responsible, productive adults through collaborative planning and funding of a continuum of quality care.
Follow us on Twitter at @CSCBroward and on Facebook. For more information about the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, visit www.cscbroward.org.
