3 Central Florida counties join new foster care organization

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The state has officially transitioned foster care services in three counties to a new organization.

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Family Partnerships of Central Florida will now oversee cases for hundreds of children in Brevard, Orange and Seminole Counties.

This has been a challenging journey,” said Phil Scarpelli, CEO of Family Partnerships of Central Florida.

It’s been two months since Brevard Family Partnership took over foster services from Embrace Families.

Read: First Look: Brevard Family Partnership to takeover foster care in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole

It’s now operating under a new name, “Family Partnerships of Central Florida.”

Scarpelli said he’s been able to retain about 90 percent of the staff, and all vendors and services remain intact.

“To date, there really hasn’t been a gap in service the partners have stayed on board, stayed in their contracts,” Scarpelli said. “The families will remain assigned to those very cases.”

WATCH: ‘Out of Time: A Focus on Florida’s Aged-Out Foster Youth’

Embrace ended its contract with the state of Florida early.

The Department of Children and Families said it funded over $9 million of Embrace’s deficit over the last year, which was above its annual budget allocation.

DCF said the remainder of any deficit amounts were to be funded using unrestricted funding in other related party accounts. Also, DCF said the Legislature did not earmark funding for them that was withheld.

The CEO told Channel 9 that it operated with just 7% of state funds despite caring for 12% of foster children.

Read: ‘Everyone’s nervous’: Foster parents on edge as Central FL foster care provider terminates contract

DCF accused the agency of mismanaging resources, failing to provide oversight of subcontractors and placing children in unlicensed settings.

Scarpelli knows he will have to navigate the funding issue, too.

“There is a project going on as we speak that is evaluating the cost of doing child welfare by county and by circuit,” he said. “So, we’re getting close to an adequacy formula by which we will be sustainable.”

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