INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — It’s easier and cheaper to help floundering families raise school-ready children than it is to pay for their anti-social adulthood, numerous speakers told Indian River County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Displaying their solidarity and ability to organize, early-childhood services organizations and volunteers managed to fill county chambers after getting wind that the annual funding level would be put to a vote.
The county’s CSAC, or Indian River County Children’s Services Advisory Committee, was formed in 2010 to make recommendations for yearly funding. This year funding is at the highest level since 2002, but still 43 percent below that year’s $1.7 million expenditure, CSAC board member Hope Woodhouse said.
Nevertheless, new programs have been started with the county’s modest largess, bolstered by private fundraising, many speakers pointed out.
“I can’t call back a claim,” CEO of Big Brothers and Sisters Judy Miller said. Three centers in central Vero Beach have pulled two-thirds of the pre-K children up to school-ready level by working with 42 families, she said. “I have promised we will visit them two times a month. We need your investment now.”
Woodhouse, the head of the spear, was followed by 19 other speakers. She said the county pays $33 per child, while Martin County pays $276 and St. Lucie County $146 for early-childhood services.
Research shows third grade is the turning point, they said. If a child is not at grade level then, high school graduation is a lost dream, followed by unemployment and worse.
A recent ALICE report from United Way shows 25 percent of area children live in poverty, the county’s unemployment rate is over 10 percent and the difference between rich and poor is greater here than anywhere else in the country, various speakers pointed out.
In the current year, the county is paying a little over $1 million, but only because they were challenged to match up to $200,000 raised privately, Woodhouse said.
According to the county staff report, property values were up 4.5 percent so the county could bump children’s services from $652,000 to $852,000. With the match, total funding is over $1 million.
Woodhouse said the county passed a law in 1998 stating it would share up to 0.125 millage of its general fund property tax, which would total $1.75 million, she said.
She said she was disappointed county staff recommended funding about $700,000, but Commissioner Peter O’Bryan said it was staff’s job to keep costs down and the commissioners where responsible for increasing spending.
Woodhouse asked the commission to fund $1 million, but not to expect private fundraising to come up with a $200,000 match as they did this year.
“I’ve had it,” Woodhouse said.
The county commission voted unanimously to fund a little over $1 million in the upcoming fiscal year, which was met with thunderous applause.