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Hillsborough's Wise Investment In Children

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 4, 2009

As we conclude our 20th year, we wanted to thank our community for the vision and wisdom demonstrated when citizens voted to create an independent, special taxing district called the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.

State law permits all counties to create such a body, but only eight of Florida's 67 counties have done so. In 1988, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners voted to allow the measure to be placed on the ballot, a required first step.

Children's Board founders Colleen Bevis, Marion Rodgers, Ann Murphey (who is sadly no longer with us), Lane France, Leon Polhill, Bert Loeb and Reece Smith, along with an army of child advocates called the Hillsborough Constituency for Children, dedicated themselves to creating the Children's Board. We want to recognize these leaders for their foresight and fierce commitment to children.

It is possible that many of you have never heard of the Children's Board. Many have us confused with other agencies. Our public awareness philosophy has been to promote the activities of the agencies we fund and the significant issues affecting our community's children and families rather than placing ourselves in the forefront. However, in this time of economic upheaval when so many families are in crisis, it is our responsibility to describe how we are spending tax dollars to help the children and families in our county.

The Children's Board is led by 10 directors who each represent an area of expertise regarding children. Five of these directors are appointed by the governor and bring experience from the business and civic sectors. The remaining five board members represent the school system, child welfare, the courts and the Board of County Commissioners.

The Children's Board invests more than $42 million for the health and wellness of all of our community's children. Funds are directed to increasing healthy births, improving school readiness and early school success, and promoting strong families that are stable and self-sufficient. We do this in three major ways: by leading in the use of proven practices to assure best results; by investing tax dollars for maximum return on investment; and by engaging the community to address issues affecting our children.

What matters most is that parent and kids have what they need to succeed. In 2007, we provided funding for over 180 activities that served an estimated 200,000 individuals. The Children's Board dedicates a portion of our budget to capture additional dollars from outside of our county to multiply tax dollars. In 2007, we invested $8.2 million to bring over $32 million into Hillsborough County - a 391 percent return on investment. We continuously look for new, responsible ways to increase your investment in our community.

The initial wave of families has become a tsunami, with many experiencing financial disaster for the first time. The Children's Board has responded by serving more families through our programs and through school social workers, neighborhood service centers and churches.

Now more than ever our community must work together. Our future prosperity lies in our ability to connect with one another to galvanize neighborhoods, businesses, the faith-based community, social services and government to find more creative, collaborative and effective ways to work together.

Twenty years ago, the citizens of Hillsborough County demonstrated foresight and vision in creating the Children's Board. Twenty years from today we want to look back and say that the citizens and leaders in Hillsborough County continued to show wisdom and determination by mobilizing the community at all levels, bridging gaps and differences, and acting in innovative ways that made our county the best place in the United States to raise a family.

Since the Children's Board began, our most important partner in informing and improving our work has been you ... the citizen of Hillsborough County. We want to hear and learn from you. Please visit www.childrensboard.org to learn more about what we do and how to get involved. Click on the "Message from C.E.O." link to e-mail me directly.

Another way to get involved is to visit a Family Support and Resource Center near you. Thank you for all you do every day to make Hillsborough County a wonderful place to live.

Luanne J. Panacek is chief executive officer of the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.

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