Amid the COVID-19 crisis, low income families with children are disproportionately impacted, and those of moderate means may now be without a paycheck.

Licensed childcare for essential healthcare workers and first responders may be scarce. Financial and other stressors impact families, driving up domestic violence calls.

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is responding by investing in several emergency efforts, bringing partners together to identify and fill gaps.

“During any economic downturn or public health crisis, low income families are disproportionately impacted,” stated Beth A. Houghton, CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board. “Before COVID-19, 50% of Pinellas families earned less than the basic cost of living, and one in five children were food insecure. I imagine it’s much worse now. Our children and families are hurting, and we are working hard to identify resources, expand investments, and plow through barriers, alongside our partners.”

Support to JWB funded agency nonprofits and their employees

• Emergency Response Fund: Allows all 50-plus nonprofit agencies — funded by JWB to serve children and families through early learning, home visiting, before/after school, domestic violence shelters, mental health services, and more — to access their budget allocations to cover operational expenses, including paying and retaining employees, should programs be required to close or reduce services due to COVID-19.

Food assistance for children and families

• $200,000 Emergency Food Relief: With retail food donations down nearly 75% to local food banks, JWB is investing $200,000 in emergency food relief for children and families, to be distributed to Tarpon Springs Shepherd’s Center, Religious Community Services in Clearwater, Florida Dream Center in Lealman, and St. Petersburg Free Clinic. Additional funds will be allocated as need presents.

• $350,000 Meals for Kids: In a proactive measure, JWB’s eight Neighborhood Family Centers were approved to double all pre-packaged meal purchases for kids; these Centers serve families in highest need areas.

• $12,000 Meals on Wheels 4 Kids: With school and congregate meal site closures, JWB is providing a portion of the initial funding for an innovative pilot with Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger to deliver meals to the doorstep of families with children when barriers exist and using the volunteer-based Meals on Wheels model.

• BreakSpot Grab & Go Meal Expansion: JWB is partnering with Feeding Tampa Bay to open additional Pinellas sites where grab-and-go meals for children can be distributed. We recently launched a new website with a schedule of all Pinellas school and community BreakSpot sites: www.jwbpinellas.org/breakspot-meals

Basic needs assistance to families

• $1.7M Family Services Initiative Basic Needs Fund: JWB’s Family Services Initiative offers real-time basic need assistance to families, including rent/utility assistance, food, and household items. While this fund is in place for access by families year-round, it is especially critical given our current crisis. To request support, families should dial 2-1-1.

For more information on food assistance for Pinellas County children and families visit: www.jwbpinellas.org/childhood-hunger.

For the Family Services Initiative for basic needs assistance, families should dial 2-1-1 or visit https://211tampabay.org/family-services-initiative-fsi/

For those wishing to donate, JWB recommends contributions be directed to the Pinellas Community Foundation and their Disaster Relief and Childhood Hunger funds; visit www.pcfpinellas.org.

The Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board is increasing its investment in several emergency response efforts responding to low income families disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, workers who have lost jobs, a shortage of childcare options for essential workers and other stressors related to the pandemic.

“During any economic downturn or public health crisis, low income families are disproportionately impacted,” said Beth Houghton, CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board. “Before COVID-19, 50% of Pinellas families earned less than the basic cost of living, and one in five children were food insecure. I imagine it’s much worse now.”

“Our children and families are hurting, and we are working hard to identify resources, expand investments, and plow through barriers, alongside our partners.”

Among its investments, the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) is providing $1.7 million for its Family. Services Initiative Basic Needs Fund. That pool of money goes to families who need assistance with rent or utility payments, food or household items. That fund is available year round, but is being promoted more heavily as greater needs arise in the coronavirus crisis. Those in need can seek help by calling 2-1-1 or visiting its website.

The group is expanding its Emergency Response Fund, which Allows all of the more than 50 nonprofit agencies funded by JWB to serve children and families through early learning, home visiting, before/after school, domestic violence shelters, mental health services, and other services to access their budget allocations to cover operational expenses, including paying and retaining employees should programs be required to close or reduce services due to COVID-19.

JWB is also providing $200,000 for emergency food relief. The agency estimates that retail food donations to local food banks are down nearly 75%. The funds will be used to distribute food supplies to the Tarpon Springs Shepherd Center, Religious Community Services in Clearwater, the Florida Dream Center in Lealman and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. More funds will be allocated as needed.

The group is also providing $350,000 for meals for kids, doubling the amount of pre-packaged meals available for children at JWB’s eight Neighborhood Family Centers.

Another $12,000 will go toward Meals on Wheels 4 Kids, a pilot with the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger that delivers meals to families’ doorsteps in situations where barriers prohibit them from accessing other services.

More information about food assistance for children and families is available at the JWB website.

The Pinellas Community Foundation and the group’s Disaster Relief and Childhood Hunger funds also has information about available resources on its website.

To view the news story by Florida Politics, visit: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/326604-pinellas-juvenile-welfare-board-increases-investment-in-emergency-response-to-covid-19