Leon County, FL’s Children’s Services Council: A November 2020 Ballot Measure Case StudyIn December 2019, a committee of Leon County, FL, leaders released a report detailing the unmet needs of children and youth in the county. Among other needs, the report revealed the county’s high youth arrest rate (10.8%) and low rate of accredited child care programs (12%—less than half the state average).1 To address these needs, a group of advocates pushed for the county commission to place a measure on the ballot to establish a Children’s Services Council (CSC)—an independent governing body with the power to levy taxes and direct the revenue exclusively to services for children, youth, and families. In November 2020, their efforts succeeded and nearly two-thirds of voters chose to raise taxes to create a new CSC that is projected to raise approximately $7 million annually. Download PDF Filed under:Infants and Toddlers, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Youth, Advocates/Intermediaries, Funders, Policymakers/Agency Leaders, Publication, Voter-Approved Children’s FundsMore Resources Video Getting to the Source of State Dedicated Funding for Kids Learn how state dedicated funds can provide sustainable support for child and youth programs outside of the K-12 school day, and hear from advocates about how they successfully secured such funding in their states. Publication State Strategies for Sustained Investment in Kids: A Landscape of Dedicated Funding Learn how states have successfully created dedicated funding streams for children and youth and the strategies that advocates, policymakers, and community leaders can use to identify viable revenue options. Updates and Events News October 1, 2025 Government Shutdown Shuts Out Kids Interview August 13, 2025 Funders Can Lean Into New Roles To Unlock Public Funding for Kids Interview July 30, 2025 Buell Foundation Shares Real-Time Lessons on Public Funding for Early Childhood Close Share it! Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Click to copy URL Link Copied!
Video Getting to the Source of State Dedicated Funding for Kids Learn how state dedicated funds can provide sustainable support for child and youth programs outside of the K-12 school day, and hear from advocates about how they successfully secured such funding in their states.
Publication State Strategies for Sustained Investment in Kids: A Landscape of Dedicated Funding Learn how states have successfully created dedicated funding streams for children and youth and the strategies that advocates, policymakers, and community leaders can use to identify viable revenue options.
Interview July 30, 2025 Buell Foundation Shares Real-Time Lessons on Public Funding for Early Childhood