8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: Local Level Public-Private Collaborations: Statutorily, the SR Program is administered by DEL through 30 ELCs and RCMA at the local level, which are all not-for-profit organizations that coordinate service delivery efforts. Thus, most public-private partnerships are formed and realized in local communities. The DEL encourages and monitors these efforts. Each ELC has a board that must have at least 15, but not more than 30 members. The law requires that the board of each ELC include the following members: - Governor-appointed chair and two other members who must meet the same qualifications as private-sector business members. - A DCF regional administrator or a permanent designee authorized to make decisions on behalf of the department. - A district superintendent of schools or a permanent designee authorized to make decisions on behalf of the district. - A local workforce development board executive director or a permanent designee. - A county health department director or a designee. - A children’s services council or juvenile welfare board chair or executive director, if applicable. - A DCF child care regulation representative or an agency head of an LLA as defined in s. 402.302, where applicable. - An agency head of an LLA as defined in s. 402.302, F.S., where applicable. - A president of a Florida College System institution or a permanent designee. - One member appointed by a board of county commissioners or the governing board of a municipality. - A Head Start director. - A representative of private for-profit child care providers, including private for-profit family day care homes. - A representative of faith-based child care providers. - A representative of programs for children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. - Private sector business members. One benefit from local ELCs including members representing local public and private entities is that the ELCs are more easily able to raise and attract private funds to enhance the quality of care. Other examples and results of public-private collaborations at the local level, under Florida law, are county governments empowered to create Children's Services Councils, which are special taxing districts that empower local voters to levy ad valorem taxes (e.g., property taxes) earmarked for children's services. There are 13 Children's Services Councils across the state of Florida. Of these, 11 are independent special taxing districts and the remaining two are dependent upon local governmental entities that budget funding to provide these services. Independent: 1. The Children’s Trust of Miami 2. CSC of Broward 3. CSC of Palm Beach 4. CSC of Martin County 5. CSC of St. Lucie County 6. CSC of Okeechobee 7. Hillsborough Children’s Board 8. Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County 9. Children’s Trust of Alachua County 10. CSC of Leon County (New) 11. Escambia Children’s Trust (New) Dependent: 1. Kids Hope Alliance (Jacksonville) 2. Manatee County Children’s Services Children's Services Councils are successful public-private partnerships that enable local communities to address many service needs of children and their families in local communities. ELCs and RCMA work collaboratively with the Children's Services Councils where they exist, and this collaboration results in the infusion of local funds, which are used to expand local ELC services and efforts.