Commissioner's Corner: County offers free after-school programs

Orange County government offers many services with which taxpayers may not be familiar. Last month, I highlighted several of these programs available for communities through Orange County’s Neighborhood Preservation and Revitalization Division. This month, I will highlight lesser-known programs and services that may be of use to you and your family.

Orange County has assistance available to victims of consumer fraud. The county’s Consumer Fraud Office reviews citizen complaints and works to resolve these complaints through mediation. If warranted, complaints may be referred to the State Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecution. However, the Consumer Fraud Office is not able to mediate all types of consumer complaints; these cases are forwarded to the correct agency for further review. To learn how more about the Consumer Fraud Office or to file a claim, please call 407-836-2490.

Orange County partners with area public schools, government agencies, churches, grassroots organizations, and non-profit service providers to operate the Neighborhood Center for Families. The centers are funded through the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children and provide services such as health screenings, nursing assessments, health education, counseling, back-to-school immunizations and other types of family support services. Two NCF facilities are located in the District 5 communities of Union Park and Bithlo. For more information on services and the location of a Neighborhood Center for Families near you, please visit http://bit.ly/1LnISyf.

Orange County also operates afterschool and summer programs for children. The After School Zone provides a safe, educational environment for middle school students that stresses both prevention and early intervention of negative behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco and crime. This program has been extremely popular with parents and has grown from 17 locations in 1999 to 28 in 2012. The After School Zone is offered free of charge throughout first and second semesters of the school year and a similar program, Summer Zone, is available for a nominal fee for five weeks over the summer. Orange County funds and operates the After School and Summer Zone programs in collaboration with Orange County Public Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, Central Florida YMCA, and the Federation of Congregations United to Serve, a faith based initiative. For information on eligibility, enrollment, and program locations, please contact the Orange County Family Services Department at 407-836-7658.

Orange County is dedicated to protecting and enriching the lives of its residents. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any of these county programs or any other issue facing Orange County, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff, Edgar Robinson and Lynette Rummel. We can be reached at 407-836-7350 or by email at [email protected]. Have a safe and healthy month of March!