Hi, my name is Ronnie Daniel. I am the executive director of the Children First Education Fund. I’m excited to introduce you to the Children First Education Fund and explain the role we play in administering the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship. The Children First Education Fund, or CF for short, is a Utah-based nonprofit scholarship granting organization dedicated to expanding access to education for students with disabilities. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn in the environment that best supports their needs and we work to make that possible through the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship. What is the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship? The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship was established in 2019 by the Utah State Legislature. The law requires that the program be administered by a nonprofit scholarship granting organization. CFEF is proud to have been selected to be the administrator of this great program.
CFEF provides funding to help eligible students with disabilities to have education choice in how and where to receive education services that best meet their needs. The alternative educational settings that are allowed include 80 plus private school partners and homeschool programs using approved educational resources. The scholarship is named after Carson Smith, who as a young student with special needs, was looking for resources outside of public school. His family helped advocate for greater educational choice in Utah.
As the program administrator, CF is responsible for securing funds to distribute for scholarships, recruiting new students into the program, processing applications, reviewing reimbursement requests, dispersing scholarship funds, engaging private school partners, approving vendors, ensuring that the state law governing this program is being followed, and answering questions and supporting families. We also maintain your parent portal where you can track your scholarship, submit documentation, and request reimbursements throughout the school year. CFF is here to help families understand the process, access their benefits, and make informed decisions for their students.
Our mission is rooted in empowerment, transparency, and accessibility. And we’re always working to improve how we serve families like yours. CFF advocates for our families and works to make sure the law governing this program is clear and effective in meeting the needs of children with special needs. You can learn more about us at cf-fund.org/about, where you’ll also find a link to the program legislation that governs CSOS.
We encourage families to stay informed and reach out if you ever need support. Thanks for watching. Remember, you can find additional information about the program on our website or you can email or call our team directly.
