Improving Lives Through Collective Impact
Community collaboration is the cornerstone of great results. That is why the CSC leads the Broward County Children’s Strategic Plan which harnesses the power of collective action and provides ample opportunities for stakeholders to improve the lives of children and families. Whether it be through participating in a committee, attending a community event, or sharing insightful feedback and data, there are many ways Community Builders can contribute to improving our community. The CSC provides the backbone to support the work of the more than 40 committees that work to turn the curve on a range of issues and toward five shared goals: Children Live in Stable and Nurturing Families; Children are Mentally and Physically Healthy; Children are Ready to Succeed in School; Young People Successfully Transition to Adulthood, and Children Live in Safe and Supportive Communities.
The work of the committees of the Strategic Plan informs funding decisions. Just as importantly, the Strategic Plan and the CSC’s role as its convener, allow for an infrastructure that is flexible and reflective of the community’s resilience, even in the face of the most tragic adversities.
Our Goals From Planning to Action
First approved in February 2002, the Broward Children’s Strategic Plan sets the vision, mission, goals, and objectives for establishing a better community in which children live, learn, and thrive. In 2006, nearly 600 participants came together to assess the plan’s progress and provide constructive feedback for a revised version, which would include five new – and targeted – results areas. As Community Builders, it is our mission to connect our community’s resources and data to ensure that these goals are met.
Working toward ensuring that all Broward children live in safe, stable and nurturing families.
Committees are working hard to safeguard the mental and physical health of Broward Children. It is necessary to have in place a continuum of maternal and child health services for at-risk families. Committees are working to ensure that:
- There is a reduction in the Number of Children Drowning (ages 1-4)
- There is a reduction in Childhood Obesity
- All Black babies in Broward County will be born healthy, and remain healthy.
- Babies will be born substance free
- Women will have healthy pregnancies with positive birth outcomes.
- There will be zero perinatal HIV transmissions
- Broward County teens will be healthy.
As the community works toward making sure all children in Broward are ready to succeed in school, committees have been working hard on ways to:
- Improve children’s educational success by making sure all of Broward children are ready to succeed in Kindergarten.
- Improve the availability and quality of inclusive out-of-school time programs for economically disadvantaged children and for children with special needs (inclusion).
- Improve the availability and quality of out-of-school care for children with special physical, developmental, and behavioral needs who require intensive services.
- Enhance academic achievement,
- Support social-emotional learning, developmental and physical activities.
- And encourage providers in the community to provide educational field trips and cultural arts opportunities.
Click here to learn more about what we’re doing to ensure children are ready to succeed in school.
In this area, the community is focused on
- Reducing youth risk factors associated with delinquency, teen pregnancy, and other risky behaviors.
- Actively working towards strengthening the continuum of care for children with special needs.
- Creating solutions for strengthening supports for youth aging out of foster care or living in Kinship care, youth involved with juvenile justice, and youth who are LGBTQ to successfully transition to adulthood.
- And working toward solutions that help reduce the recidivism rate of low-risk juvenile offenders and prevent the escalation of crime.
- Increasing protective/resiliency factors and reduce risk factors associated with delinquency, teen pregnancy, and other risky behaviors.
In this area, Community Builders work to ensure that children are living in safe and supportive communities though the reduction of abuse and neglect.
Explore Our Committees
To maximize opportunities for positive youth development and improve system outcomes, Community Builders have formed focused committees that analyze data, identify action steps, and establish community indicators to measure progress for specific segments of children’s services in Broward County. Committee members include residents, providers, government representatives, and local businesses alike, all working toward accomplishing a common goal by regularly meeting to share data, align events and initiatives, and leverage support from the CSC.
Click here to View Committees