Child care has consistently been a critical concern within cities and counties across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized this point as children, families and providers witnessed a near collapse of the industry. At the onset of the pandemic, Children’s Services Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County, FL, dedicated itself to better understanding and supporting the child care needs of the county’s residents.

CSC started by partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, Inc.; Palm Beach State College; and the county’s school district to learn more about the challenges child care providers were experiencing. The team was especially interested in the experiences of those operating in the small rural towns around Lake Okeechobee, known as the Glades. Data collected from surveys, listening sessions, and decision-making sessions of 50 child care programs indicated that many providers needed financial assistance and resource navigation support.

This led CSC to distribute over $400,000 in additional support to child care providers in the Glades region of Palm Beach County. (See the chart below for a breakdown of COVID-19 relief payments from CSC.)

Total COVID Relief Payments Provided by Palm Beach County Children’s Services Council

In addition to providing financial assistance as outlined above, CSC’s work in the Glades region allowed it to deepen its collaboration with other community partners to achieve a shared goal of streamlining resources for providers. This initiative highlights the importance of community-based partnerships and thoughtful needs assessments. It also provides a model to guide future research and decision-making surrounding the needs of child care providers.

To further support the needs of the county’s families and children, CSC collaborated with United Way and several local foundations on a series of other projects. One of those projects was a coronavirus relief and recovery funding collaborative that coordinated and allocated more than $21 million in local and federal aid to community organizations. The Funders Collaborative began as a response to past natural disasters but expanded as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between March and November 2020, the collaborative opened a joint funding application. The group received more than 570 applications from community organizations interested in receiving funding to support local needs. The collaborative then determined which organizations and projects each local foundation would support. The Funders Collaborative also worked with the Palm Beach County Commission staff to support the distribution of federal money received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Funders Collaborative was a tremendous success. Reports from CSC indicate that the group provided over $9 million in funding to local organizations and helped coordinate more than $12 million in federal COVID relief funding.

CSC continues to influence the lives of those living in Palm Beach County because of its consistent and flexible responsiveness to community needs and highlights how intermediaries can enhance community success. This year alone, CSC has helped more than 54,000 children and families and provided funding to approximately 680 community-based organizations.

Although the enormous influx of new funding is wonderful news for state and local governments, administering it efficiently and equitably is a significant lift. Organizations like the Palm Beach County CSC that know their communities well represent an incredible resource for helping localities determine spending needs and implement services and programs. Communities that prioritize coordinated efforts are able to address their local needs because they can (1) optimize their resources, including but not limited to money, time, and expertise, and (2) tackle challenges on a much larger scale.

Courtney Moore is a policy associate at Children’s Funding Project.