Broward children's council expects to lose up to $17 million in 2027 after the passing of Amendment 3
Children's programs across Florida are set to lose millions of dollars in funding following voters' passage of Amendment 3.
The Children's Services Council of Broward County is facing significant budget reductions, according to President and CEO Cindy Arenberg Seltzer. The organization expects to lose roughly $15 million to $17 million next year — approximately 15% of its revenue — and between $25 million and $30 million the following year, representing a 25% revenue drop.
"Some people will not get the services, but which services I'm not sure yet," Arenberg Seltzer said.
Arenberg Seltzer explained that the council's two main priorities are reducing the number of children in foster care and decreasing juvenile arrests. While she hopes to preserve core initiatives aligned with those missions, such as after-school care, cuts could occur elsewhere if alternative funding cannot be found.
"Then do we give up nurses in schools? Do we stop funding water safety lessons to keep kids from drowning? Do we stop doing safe sleep education and cribs? All of those save lives, so there are tough decisions to make," Arenberg Seltzer said.
Among the families potentially impacted is Joy Barrows, a mother of two whose 9-year-old son, Julian, has autism. Julian relies on an after-school program at Arc Broward in Sunrise, one of roughly 200 programs funded by the Children's Services Council of Broward County.
"It's helped his speech. It's helped his behavior. It's helped his interactions with children and adults; it's helped him make friends. And he does swimming lessons there," Barrows said.
Without the program, Barrows noted that finding suitable specialized care would be nearly impossible.
"Without Arc Broward, I wouldn't have any facility or anywhere that I trusted because he'd been turned away from other programs because they don't have the amount of specialized care. So I, I wouldn't be able to work," Barrows said.
Arenberg Seltzer emphasized that the council aims to maintain after-school care programs and could look at trimming specific components, such as field trips or job exploration.
"To the parents out there, I promise you that the Children's Services Council remains committed to providing the best quality services we can for as long as we can," Arenberg Seltzer said. "These cuts will not happen immediately, and we will do our best to find a way forward."
For parents like Barrows, the potential loss of funding remains a major concern.
"You can't control the disabilities that your kids face, but with services and programs like Arc Broward and CSC, they just give you a better opportunity at life," Barrows said. "And to think that there's potential to lose that, that's scary."
Broward County is currently seeking residents interested in serving on the Children's Services Council. To learn more about the governor-appointed position, click here.