TO: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners
THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator
Michael C. Zito, Deputy County Administrator
Cynthia Emerson, Community Services Director
FROM: Megan Kendrick, Human Services Administrator
DATE: February 10, 2026
SUBJECT: Children's Services Strategic Plan - 2025 Update
__________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND
On February 11, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners accepted the Children’s Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2025-2030, establishing a five-year framework to guide Children’s Services staff priorities, operations, and accountability.
The CSAC Strategic Plan is structured around three core focus areas:
Community Impact
Communication and Engagement
Fiscal Responsibility and Governance
The plan was developed in collaboration with the CSAC Main Committee, informed by the 2024-2027 Children’s Services Needs Assessment and community feedback.
This report serves as the annual Strategic Plan Update, summarizing progress achieved during the most recent reporting period and demonstrating how strategic goals are being translated into measurable outcomes.
ANALYSIS
This update demonstrates measurable gains across all three strategic focus areas: Community Impact, Communication and Engagement, and Fiscal Responsibility and Governance.
Under Community Impact, staff emphasized data-driven decision-making to better identify and respond to community needs. Between FY 2022-2023 and FY 2024-2025, the percentage of CSAC-funded programs fully meeting all outcome measures increased from 61% to 93%. This substantial improvement reflects targeted investments in evidence-based programming, enhanced needs assessment tools, and professional development opportunities designed to strengthen agency capacity and program performance.
In Communication and Engagement, CSAC focused on increasing transparency, public awareness, and community involvement. Community engagement touch-points increased from 1,025 in FY 2023-2024 to 1,926 in FY 2024-2025, representing an 88% increase. This growth was driven by targeted social media campaigns, expanded outreach efforts, and active participation in community events and forums. These initiatives improved the visibility of CSAC-funded programs and strengthened connections with residents, partners, and stakeholders.
The Fiscal Responsibility and Governance focus area highlights staff’s role as a steward of public resources. Through updates to the CSAC Guidebook, comprehensive on-boarding for committee members, and the implementation of structured feedback tools, confidence in governance and fiscal oversight reached 100% satisfaction among CSAC Committee members. These results reflect strengthened governance practices, clearer roles and responsibilities, and increased trust in CSAC’s financial monitoring and compliance systems.
Collectively, the outcomes presented in this Strategic Plan Update demonstrate CSAC’s continued commitment to accountability, collaboration, and measurable impact. By aligning data, community voice, and strong governance, CSAC remains well-positioned to continue improving systems of care and advancing positive outcomes for children and families across Indian River County.
BUDGETARY IMPACT
None
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTIONS
February 11, 2025 - Board of County Commissioners accepted the Children’s Services Advisory Committee Strategic Plan for FY 2025-2030.
POTENTIAL FUTURE BOARD ACTIONS
The Board will receive future annual updates on progress toward Strategic Plan goals.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Quality of Life
OTHER PLAN ALIGNMENT
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Board accept the Children’s Services Advisory Committee Strategic Plan Update for FY 2025-2026, as presented.