While federal and state grants represent the majority of RCMA’s funding, Florida growers, community foundations, social service agencies and concerned individuals provide land, buildings, services and expertise to help open doors to opportunities for farmworker families.
RCMA’s Board of Directors, for example, includes both farmers and farm workers, as well as educators, lawyers, parents and health experts.
Seeing little to gain through an adversarial relationship with growers, RCMA’s founders knew that growers and migrant farm workers actually have much in common — both are fiercely independent, intensely private, among the hardest-working people around, proud of their work and deeply concerned about their families.
Neither farmer nor farm worker wants children in the fields in lieu of proper child care and nurturing.
State and federal agencies also recognize the important role RCMA provides in delivering such services as Head Start programs, voluntary pre-kindergarten classes and primary education to children in under-served rural areas of Florida. State and federal agencies represent over 85 percent of RCMA’s funding.
Additionally, local school districts provide grants and reimbursements for certain programs and services provided by RCMA.
The United Way, community foundations, civic groups and corporate and individual donors provide vital support, as RCMA must raise $500,000 annually from local sources to qualify for certain grants. For every $1 donation, RCMA can receive up to $16 in matching funds.
Our Funding Sources
- Head Start
- Early Head Start
- Migrant and Seasonal Head Start
- USDA Food Program
- Florida Department of Education
- Collier County School Board
- DeSoto County School Board
- Glades County School Board
- Hardee County School Board
- Hendry County School Board
- Highlands County School Board
- Hillsborough County School Board
- School District of Indian River County
- Children’s Service Advisory Council – Indian River County BoCC
- The Children’s Trust in Miami-Dade County
- United Way of Collier and the Keys
- United Way of Indian River County
- United Way Miami
- United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties
- United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties
- United Way of Pasco County
- United Way Suncoast
- Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland
- Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties
- Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee Counties
- Early Learning Coalition of Marion County
- Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/ Monroe Counties
- Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County
- Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County
- Early Learning Coalition of Lake County
- Early Learning Coalition of South West Florida
- Palm Beach County Children’s Service Council
- Florida Children’s Forum
- Naples Children and Education Foundation
- Miami Foundation
- UnidosUS
- Episcopal Children’s Services
- Hillsborough County
- Miami-Dade County
- Palm Beach County
- Office of Early Learning
- Florida agriculture
- Private foundations
- Religious institutions and organizations
- Businesses
- Private individuals