Benjamin Perks Lauds The Center’s Public Health Approach to Ending Childhood Trauma in PBC
September 12, 2025
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com
Global Leader Sounds Alarm on Child Maltreatment and Lauds Local Nonprofit for Its Public Health Approach to Ending Childhood Trauma in PBC
Statewide leaders convened in person with Benjamin Perks at Center for Child Counseling’s Lead the Fight event.
The United Nation’s Benjamin Perks sounded the alarm on the “elephant in the world’s living room,” child maltreatment, in his address at the most recent Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) Lead the Fight event. Although Perks claimed child maltreatment as the world’s most prevalent and costliest public health problem, he also delivered the hopeful message that we are the first generation in history with the knowledge to end it. Perks lauded the Center for having all the proper resources, partnerships, and people in place to build a trauma-proof future for Palm Beach County.
Emceed by WPTV 5 award-winning journalist Joel Lopez and hosted by Kathy Leone, the event took place at The Breakers on September 9. 150 community and statewide leaders attended in person and more than 100 joined the conversation via zoom from across the country. Participants left with a greater understanding of their personal role in the fight to protect our most precious asset–our children.
“You are an integral part of dismantling the mental-health-crisis bomb exploding the lives of our kids, their families, and the hope of our entire future. There are solutions. Together, we can deliver them as a trauma-informed community,” acknowledged Leone in her opening remarks.
In addition to Perks sharing his personal traumatic story which eventually led to his work campaigning on human rights and child development for the UN in New York, he outlined the public health approach it takes to systemically protect children and promote healing, resilience, and well-being.
Through his experience of healing trauma within himself, Perks came to understand the possibility of preventing trauma for every child before it happens and healing every person who is affected by trauma. His story and theory is part of his newly released book, Trauma Proof: Healing, Attachment, and the Science of Prevention—a powerful exploration of how connection and care can break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
Perks shared that the health costs associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in North America and Europe is $1.3 trillion annually but “we now know how to manage, the Center for Child Counseling knows how to manage, for a fraction of what is lost.”
The public health solution includes early intervention, prevention, and treatment.
Perks recommends an investment in primary attachment to include: optimum perinatal care; family-friendly policies, including parental leave and affordable childcare; universal progressive access to parenting programs.
“We also know now that the return on investment in early childhood is huge…for every dollar invested, you have up to a $12-13 return,” presented Perks.
The prevention piece includes secondary attachment: ensuring “universal access to schools where children are secure, safe, soothed, and seen.” Perk’s emphasis on treatment as part of the public health solution is investing in “targeted care, support, and response services for children at serious risk of violence and neglect.”
The alternative to addressing ACEs is adverse health outcomes which include increased risk factors to: be a drinker, have unintended teenage pregnancy, smoke e-cigarettes or tobacco, have sex under the age of 16, smoke cannabis, be a victim of violence, commit violence against another person, use crack cocaine or heroin, be incarcerated.
In Perk’s concluding plea to the audience, he emphasized, “We are the first generation in history to know how to end toxic stress and child trauma. And we must not be the last to accept it as an inevitable and insurmountable problem. It’s up to us!”
Center for Child Counseling, a Palm Beach County based nonprofit, focuses on a public health approach to building awareness and action around addressing childhood adversity and trauma. CFCC was founded in 1999 with the vision that every child will grow up feeling safe and nurtured in communities where they can thrive. Using a prevention and healing-centered lens, CFCC focuses on changing the systems and practices that keep adversity and trauma firmly in place.
According to Center for Child Counseling CEO Renée Layman, “We don’t have to wait for a child to have a mental health diagnosis or crisis before we do something. Children have tremendous potential–which our society needs–and which we have a shared obligation to foster and protect. We host these events, like Lead the Fight, in order for all community members to understand and own the idea that we each have a stake and role in child and family wellbeing. Our work will continue until we have a trauma-free Palm Beach County.”
This important conversation was made possible by The Breakers Palm Beach, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Pool Tek of the Palm Beaches, and WPTV 5. CFCC’s Fighting ACEs initiative to build trauma-informed communities is made possible with the generous support of Quantum Foundation, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and private donors.
To learn more about Center for Child Counseling and how Lead The Fight continues to make a difference, visit centerforchildcounseling.org/fightingaces.
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Child First’s 10 Years of Impact in Palm Beach County
September 4, 2025
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com
Child First’s 10 Years of Impact in Palm Beach County
Celebrating community partnerships strengthening the systems of care for children and families.
Center for Child Counseling–in collaboration with Changeant, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Families First–celebrated a decade of Child First’s significant impact in Palm Beach County with a breakfast on Wednesday, August 27, at Opportunity Early Childhood Education and Family Center.
“Today we celebrate not just 10 years of this program, but 10 years of lives changed. We celebrate resilience, healing, and hope. And we thank each of you–our partners, funders, staff, and families–for making this journey possible. Together, we’re building a stronger, healthier, and more hopeful Palm Beach County,” stated Renée Layman, CEO of Center for Child Counseling.
Over the past 10 years, Child First has walked alongside families in our community–supporting parents, nurturing children, and building stronger foundations for brighter futures. Child First is funded by Children’s Services Council and is a program of Changent, a national organization that implements and supports data-driven programs.
With close to 100 people in attendance, the celebration honored the visionaries who brought Child First to Palm Beach County, the dedicated staff who show up every day for children and families, and the partners and supporters who make the work possible. In addition to Layman’s remarks, the breakfast program included impactful speeches and stories from CEO of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO of Families First Julie Swindler, Child First Parent Ambassador Courtney Williams, Chief Program and Network Officer of Changent Dr. Meghan López, and President and CEO of Changent Charlotte Min-Harris.
When young children grow up in environments where there is violence, neglect, mental illness, or substance abuse, the stress can be toxic to their developing brains. This damage can be prevented with effective intervention, as proven through the Child First program–Changeant’s first replication and expansion site outside the state of Connecticut.
According to Dr. Williams-Taylor, “What makes child first so effective is that it’s a home-based, multi-pronged, two-generation approach–a care coordinator first stabilizes the family by connecting them to community resources and helping them access basic needs. A clinician then guides the family through appropriate therapeutics interventions. This team approach, based on developing a trusting relationship with families, is what makes all the difference.”
Williams-Taylor continued, “For years, Children Services Council and our partners in Palm Beach County had taken the time and energy to think creatively. We were open to innovation and brave enough to take risks. We were building a strong and flexible early childhood system of care, and we had invested in the concept of collective impact…We were proud of the continuum of prenatal developmental therapeutic and parenting services available to Palm Beach County families…But we also recognized there was a gap for families who needed even more support in our early childhood system of care. Child First fills that gap.”
The Child First program is an example of how community organizations can work in partnership by tapping into each organization’s unique strengths and reduce duplication of services for the good of all. With funding from Children’s Services Council, Center for Child Counseling and Family First lead the charge in providing the therapeutic interventions. Since its inception, Child First has served 1,790 families to change Palm Beach County for the better.
“The data tells us what we already know in our heart–the program changes lives. But beyond the numbers are the stories. Stories of parents who felt overwhelmed and alone, finding support and hope. Stories of children once broken by trauma and stress who are thriving now. Stories of families building resilience that will ripple forth for generations. None of this would be possible without the incredible Child First team in Palm Beach County,” commented Layman.
Min-Harris added, “Wow, almost 2,000 families served…That is a testament to the dedication, the commitment, the heart-centered hard work that you bring to the communities and children and families that you serve. As President and CEO of Changeant, I couldn’t be more proud to be in partnership with you. And that’s because those partnerships matter. We’ve heard this in the room, how important those community partnerships are and that is how we are going to strengthen the systems of care, so more children and families can thrive because that is how we are going to move the needle.”
Today, Changeant aims to replicate Child First’s exemplary program in Florida alongside the almost 300 organizations they are in partnership with across the country, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and several Tribal Communities, serving almost 60,000 families a year.
The event also recognized three individuals with the Community Champion Award: Dr. Williams-Taylor, Judge Kathleen Kroll, and Tammy Fields. These three champions help strengthen mental health and relationships for families, infants, and young children through the Child First program.
For more information on Child First, visit: centerforchildcounseling.org/child-first-program.
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About the Community Champions Award Recipients:
Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor is a respected psychologist and public servant known for her leadership in child welfare and human services. She currently serves as the CEO of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Florida, where she focuses on improving outcomes for children and families. Dr. Williams-Taylor holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has extensive experience in policy development, research, and community engagement. Her work emphasizes equity, early childhood development, and data-driven decision-making.
Judge Kathleen Kroll is a longtime judge serving in the 15th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, located in Palm Beach County. She was first appointed to the bench in 1993 and has presided over a wide range of cases, including family, civil, and criminal matters. Known for her fairness and professionalism, Judge Kroll has built a strong reputation for her commitment to justice and the legal community over her decades of service.
Tammy Fields is a well-respected leader in juvenile justice and child welfare in Palm Beach County, Florida. She served as the Director of the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, where she played a key role in developing programs to support at-risk youth and their families. With a background in social work and extensive experience in government and nonprofit sectors, Fields is known for her dedication to improving outcomes for children through prevention, intervention, and advocacy.
About Center for Child Counseling
Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc
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