TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that includes providing $3.3 million to establish a foster-care pilot program and attract workers to investigate child-abuse reports.
The bill (SB 7012) would require the Department of Children and Families to establish a four-year pilot program that would place children with behavioral problems in family-like settings rather than in group homes.
It also would require the department to create a recruitment program for child protective investigators and case managers.
The program would seek to hire people such as former law enforcement officers, first responders, military members, teachers and health-care providers to help investigate child-abuse reports.
“I know that I’ll be following up with DCF regularly for updates to see what’s working, what’s not, and how we make sure that these services are available to the children in the system in hopes that they don’t repeat the cycle that has placed them in the system,” bill sponsor Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, said. Rep. Meg Weinberger, R-Palm Beach Gardens, has filed a similar House bill (HB 1127).
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