Quick Takeaways
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Who: Safe Kids Palm Beach County was recognized by Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (FAU CARD).
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What: The team was honored for their life-saving Autism Safety Box Project, which distributes safety kits to protect neurodivergent children.
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Where: The award ceremony took place at the FAU Boca Raton Campus Student Union in Palm Beach County.
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When: The recognition occurred during the 13th Annual FAU CARD Autism Leaders Brunch on June 12, 2026.
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Why: Readers should care because the initiative directly addresses high drowning and wandering risks among autistic children in Florida.
Community Partners of South Florida (CPSFL) would like to congratulate the Safe Kids Palm Beach County (PBC) team on being formally recognized and honored at the 13th Annual Florida Atlantic CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) Autism Leaders Brunch.
The ceremony, which took place on June 12, 2026, at the Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Campus Student Union, celebrated outstanding community champions and programs dedicated to improving and safeguarding the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum.
 Among the key presentations, Dr. Jack Scott of FAU CARD highlighted vital wandering-prevention and safety innovations – both areas where Safe Kids PBC and its partners have established life-saving, regional standards.
Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County (CSC) recently conducted an in-depth, sobering analysis of drowning statistics in Florida. The report revealed a staggering and urgent reality: since 2021, an estimated 60% of all child drowning victims in Florida aged five years or older were somewhere on the autism spectrum. This critical vulnerability of wandering (or elopement) toward bodies of water prompted a swift, collaborative response.
In direct response to this crisis, CSC funded expanded swim lessons, including tailored adaptive swim courses, and backed the creation of the Safe Kids PBC Autism Safety Box Project.Â
Over the 2024-2025 program cycle, the Safe Kids PBC team assembled and distributed 500 comprehensive safety kits to regional community agencies, schools, and programs serving families of young neurodivergent children. Encouraged by the massive success of the initiative, the team is currently assembling a second batch of 500 Autism Safety Boxes to expand protection for high-risk households.
“I am so proud to congratulate the entire Safe Kids Palm Beach County team on this incredibly well-deserved recognition from Florida Atlantic CARD,” said Kelly Powell, CEO of Community Partners of South Florida. “To see Kathy and her team honored by FAU CARD for their advocacy and the Autism Safety Box initiative is a testament to their impact. This project doesn’t just raise awareness; it places tangible, life-saving tools directly into the hands of families who need them most.”
For more information on how to get involved, please visit www.cpsfl.org.
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About Community Partners of South Florida
Community Partners of South Florida is a $15 million comprehensive community development nonprofit agency headquartered in Riviera Beach that provides services to families facing social, emotional, and financial adversity. By using a unique, breakthrough approach integrating housing and financial empowerment, child and family mental health, and community services, Community Partners of South Florida creates self-sustaining families and communities and serves as a driver for growing its local economy. For more information about Community Partners of South Florida, visit www.cpsfl.org. Community Partners of South Florida is a proud chartered affiliate of NeighborWorks America, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit striving to make every community a place of opportunity.
For more information, please contact: Jaime Elder at jaime@khannaconnections.comÂ
