Children’s Services Council Awards over $4 million for Healthy Youth Transitions and Kinship Initiatives for Supporting Services Programs
LAUDERHILL — The Children’s Services Council of Broward County (CSC) recently awarded approximately $3.22 million for Healthy Youth Transitions (HYT) programs and over $800,000 for Kinship Initiatives for Supporting Services (KISS) for the 2016-17 Fiscal Year. The recipients of the awards are a mix of continued and new service providers in the community.
HYT programs, previously known as “Future Prep”, serve dependent youth in protective supervision and out of home foster care, focusing on providing services that help propel youth into successful, independent and responsible adulthood. This year, with the announcing of the new awards, the CSC sought to expand the focus of the program to serve dependent, delinquent, crossover and LGBTQ youth.
KISS programs provide support services for children being raised by relative or non-relative caregivers when the biological parents are unable to do so. These services are designed to provide assistance and support to maintain stable kinship homes. The awarded funds will increase the number of kinship families served from 394 to 407 and will expand services to niche populations, including families with unaccompanied minors, families with behavioral health issues and families where parents are incarcerated.
Through the duration of both of these grants, CSC staff will monitor outcomes of the participant agencies to ensure that these funds are being utilized in the most effective way possible. Agencies approved for funding for the HYT programs are: Memorial Healthcare Systems, Camelot Community Care, Henderson Behavioral Health, SunServe, Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, Inc., PACE Center for Girls, HANDY, Inc. and the Urban League of Broward County. Agencies approved for funding for the KISS programs are: Kids in Distress with Memorial (MHS), Harmony Development Center and the Mental Health Association of South Florida.
“When stakeholders who serve children and families identify an unmet need, the CSC issues a request for proposals that provider agencies respond to. Community leaders evaluate these proposals to ensure only the most appropriate ones are awarded funds,” said Cindy Arenberg Seltzer, CSC President/CEO. “The CSC commends our returning providers for their continued pursuit of excellence and welcomes our new partners as we seek to address the needs of these underserved populations.”
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