Three important things to know about the Florida Department of Children and Families:
• The department has a new leader.
• The Legislature is about to throw a lot more money, resources and manpower at the department in hopes of stemming a tidal wave of child deaths.
• The department has a new leader.
• The Legislature is about to throw a lot more money, resources and manpower at the department in hopes of stemming a tidal wave of child deaths.
• And nobody really knows whether the DCF is yet headed in the right direction — nor will we for quite a while.
A new boss, more funds and a bigger staff should be cause for celebration. But it's easy to hope problems will suddenly be solved within a beleaguered department charged with protecting the state's most vulnerable children.
It's much harder to maintain the focus and pressure necessary to transform a long-troubled agency that has witnessed the deaths of 477 children since 2008, as detailed in a recent Miami Herald series. Each child had relied on DCF's protection. Most ended up dying in horrible ways — starved to death, beaten or worse.
Nonetheless, it is good news that reforms are underway and hope brims anew.
On Friday, the Florida Legislature passed a sweeping overhaul of the state's child welfare laws, most notably changing a policy that encouraged keeping families together, which often meant keeping kids in dangerous homes. Also Friday, lawmakers were expected to agree on a budget that provides an extra $47 million to DCF to hire 200 new investigators.
And earlier this week, Gov. Rick Scott announced his intention to appoint Mike Carroll as the next interim DCF Secretary.
Carroll comes with a substantial resume. He has plenty of experience and expertise in the field of child protection. He enjoys a reputation for being a consummate professional, and passionate about the cause. Years ago, he adopted a child from the state child welfare system.
In addition, Carroll is a veteran leader of the agency's Suncoast Region office, which covers 11 counties. He has helped run a number of social service programs, including those that deal with child welfare, substance abuse and mental illness.
Carroll's past should serve him well. Many of the hundreds of child deaths in the past six years involved parents and caregivers battling alcohol, drug and mental health demons.
Still, it's surprising the governor tapped someone from within a department mired in systemic problems that date back years.
It's also a head-scratcher that Scott chose to make him interim secretary, the third change in leadership in under a year and the sixth in the past 10 years. Florida's child welfare agency is in desperate need of stable leadership, and Scott had nearly a year to find a permanent replacement.
That said, it is a good sign the Secretary-designate is embracing wholesale change. He intends to reduce caseloads for child abuse investigators and address employee turnover. He is calling for a culture change. Most importantly, like state lawmakers, he also supports changing the agency's "family preservation" policy, which has put so many children at risk.
With big changes and more cash on the way, here's hoping Carroll provides a focus that puts DCF on the right path — and that vulnerable children finally have the right protector.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-05-02/news/fl-editorial-new-dcf-secretary-dv-20140502_1_child-welfare-child-deaths-suncoast-region
A new boss, more funds and a bigger staff should be cause for celebration. But it's easy to hope problems will suddenly be solved within a beleaguered department charged with protecting the state's most vulnerable children.
It's much harder to maintain the focus and pressure necessary to transform a long-troubled agency that has witnessed the deaths of 477 children since 2008, as detailed in a recent Miami Herald series. Each child had relied on DCF's protection. Most ended up dying in horrible ways — starved to death, beaten or worse.
Nonetheless, it is good news that reforms are underway and hope brims anew.
On Friday, the Florida Legislature passed a sweeping overhaul of the state's child welfare laws, most notably changing a policy that encouraged keeping families together, which often meant keeping kids in dangerous homes. Also Friday, lawmakers were expected to agree on a budget that provides an extra $47 million to DCF to hire 200 new investigators.
And earlier this week, Gov. Rick Scott announced his intention to appoint Mike Carroll as the next interim DCF Secretary.
Carroll comes with a substantial resume. He has plenty of experience and expertise in the field of child protection. He enjoys a reputation for being a consummate professional, and passionate about the cause. Years ago, he adopted a child from the state child welfare system.
In addition, Carroll is a veteran leader of the agency's Suncoast Region office, which covers 11 counties. He has helped run a number of social service programs, including those that deal with child welfare, substance abuse and mental illness.
Carroll's past should serve him well. Many of the hundreds of child deaths in the past six years involved parents and caregivers battling alcohol, drug and mental health demons.
It's also a head-scratcher that Scott chose to make him interim secretary, the third change in leadership in under a year and the sixth in the past 10 years. Florida's child welfare agency is in desperate need of stable leadership, and Scott had nearly a year to find a permanent replacement.
That said, it is a good sign the Secretary-designate is embracing wholesale change. He intends to reduce caseloads for child abuse investigators and address employee turnover. He is calling for a culture change. Most importantly, like state lawmakers, he also supports changing the agency's "family preservation" policy, which has put so many children at risk.
With big changes and more cash on the way, here's hoping Carroll provides a focus that puts DCF on the right path — and that vulnerable children finally have the right protector.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-05-02/news/fl-editorial-new-dcf-secretary-dv-20140502_1_child-welfare-child-deaths-suncoast-region
CPS can take a few fundamental steps towards significantly improving their overall practice. It has to start with revamping the digital platform they use and reducing the level of cultural subjectivity, thus far, inclusive in their practice. To be enlightened about CPS, it's actions and outcomes, with firm corrective suggestions, read The Dark Side of Child Protection Services. Are you a victim?
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