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A Brief History
In the late Eighties, recognizing that the needs of children in Miami-Dade County far exceeded the resources and support systems available, a cadre of committed individuals spearheaded a drive to address the problem. Using a Florida statute that allowed for such an initiative, the group generated a two-part referendum in 1988. Voters overwhelmingly recognized the need to help area children, but declined to fund the remedy through tax revenues.
With a new strategy and renewed commitment, another cadre of citizens, spearheaded by the savvy fund-raising efforts of retired Miami Herald Publisher David Lawrence Jr., provided a new initiative in 2002. Given this second opportunity and with a much better funded campaign, Miami-Dade voters in September 2002 approved an independent special district, a dedicated funding source for children entitled "The Children's Trust." The vote was 2-1 in favor. One key difference between the 1988 and 2000 campaigns was that the latter emphasized that the commitment would be to all Miami-Dade children, while clearly recognizing that some children are more at risk and, hence, need and should get more help. A "sunset provision" requires that the initiative be returned for voter approval. That vote is set for Aug. 26, 2008, and if approved, "The Children's Trust" will be created permanently (as are children's service councils in seven other Florida counties). Our Commitment The Children's Trust, our staff and 33-member board are committed to funding programs that offer the highest possible quality services, with the goals of implementing best practices and improving the lives of children and families in our community.
Our revenues from taxes for FY 2007-08 are $99.3 million based on a 0.4223 mill property tax (the statute authorizes The Trust to levy up to 1/2 mill). A person owning a home assessed at the median-taxable-value, minus the Homestead exemption, pays $61 a year, or just over a dollar a week.
A strong emphasis on active collaboration is critical to improving services and access for children and families in Miami-Dade County. The Trust encourages creative approaches to coordinating, integrating and funding services across and within the areas of health, safety, development and to promote increased parental and community involvement on behalf of all our children and The Trust stresses outcome measurements for all approved grants.
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