They say it takes a village to raise a child.

The Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) is a nonprofit that acts as a village for thousands of children by providing essential social services.

Through the nonprofit’s Community Partnership Schools model, Florida’s most vulnerable students receive critical services, such as healthcare support, academic interventions, mental health counseling, basic needs and much more.

“You hear the cliche, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ but for us, it takes a community to bring success to the children and the families we serve,” said Ernie Hamilton, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Development for the Greater Jacksonville and Daytona Beach Communities. “It takes a full community.”

Each day, the impact of the partnership school model is seen across the state.

Chronic absenteeism is decreasing. While Florida’s statewide rate increased to 7.8%, CPS schools saw a 3.5% decline in absenteeism.

At Edward H. White High School in Jacksonville, graduation rates once stood at 67%. After becoming a Community Partnership School, graduation rates rose to 96% between 2015 and 2021.

The most immediate impact is felt in the daily interactions and services students receive, said Becki Couch, Vice President of Community Partnership Schools.

For instance, giving Ed White students access to a food pantry means students aren’t studying with grumbling stomachs. A uniform closet means single parents don’t have to stress about clothing funds. Tutoring offerings mean upperclassmen are scoring higher on college exams. Additionally, an on-site nurse practitioner provides immediate care, preventing minor infections from escalating into serious illnesses.

None of it could happen without community support.

For example, partnerships with organizations like No Kid Hungry provide schools like South Woods Elementary with opportunities to teach life skills such as cooking and healthy eating habits. Through this program, students learned food safety skills and cooking techniques. At the end of the course, they prepared and served a salad for the entire fifth grade while presenting information about healthy eating.

These same kids will travel to Tallahassee during Children’s Week to advocate for healthy eating and culinary classes, allowing them to develop public speaking skills for the future.

Additionally, throughout the 2024-25 school year, CHS staff ensured late-arrival students had nutritious food in their stomachs from the “Just in Time Breakfast” cart. For the upcoming school year, No Kid Hungry grants will provide breakfast bars to students arriving late to school.

“We’re doing great things across the state,” said Couch.

However, those life-changing services wouldn’t be possible without community sponsors, partners and willing volunteers. When a school partners with CHS, it commits to a 25-year collaboration that requires financial and volunteer support.

“If you can’t contribute financially, a time commitment would always be a treasure for us,” said Couch.

Volunteering opportunities range from organizing food bank items for families to mentoring students for future careers.

“We need time, talent and treasure,” says Hamilton. “These kids are going to be the future of our society and county and communities. Showing support makes a great impact on a child.”

Today, CHS serves more than 30,000 students across Florida.

“We’re here to stay,” said Couch. “We’re here to improve these communities one child and one family at a time. We want to do it together with our business community. We can’t do it alone.”