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Adoption, Foster Care, Child Protection To Get More State Money
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Published: June 19, 2008
TALLAHASSEE - State lawmakers agreed Wednesday to transfer more than $21 million from state trust funds to shore up adoption, foster care and child protection programs that were casualties this spring of the state's budget crisis.
Lawmakers responded to plunging revenue by trimming $4 billion from state spending. In the process, they omitted funding for new adoption subsidies. The subsidies are the state's primary tool in encouraging parents to adopt foster children with special needs who may require extra health or psychological care.
The 2008-2009 budget likewise omitted money for new "independent living" grants for foster children who turn 18 and "age out" of the system after July 1.
The grants, which foster children can receive for up to five years, are meant to steer them away from homelessness and into education programs, jobs and stable living conditions.
"We find so many of them in the street, unfortunately," said Bob Butterworth, secretary of the state Department of Children and Families. "Only 3 percent of these kids graduate from college; it's an area we really need to work on, and need community support for."
Both the adoption and after-foster care programs would have collapsed this year without more money, said Butterworth, who appeared Wednesday before the House and Senate Legislative Budget Commission.
His proposal is to transfer nearly $18.8 million from unspent reserves in his department's budget to save both the adoption and foster programs. Of that total, more than $14 million would go toward adoptions.
"There were more adoptions this year that we anticipated," Butterworth said, explaining that the money will support both adoptions that happened over the past fiscal year as well as the 3,300 adoptions expected in the coming year.
After the commission meeting, House budget chief Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin said that amid all of the budget pressures, the two programs essentially fell through the cracks.
"We should have just funded that during session," he said. "Looking back, maybe we could have done it a different way ... I'm glad they were able to get it worked out" with the budget commission, he said. "It's a real high priority of the department."
However, Sansom said he also intends to keep close watch on the programs.
"I'm still sort of up in the air, philosophically, as a fiscal conservative," said Sansom, who is incoming House speaker. "Is that really the role we should have, and the best way to spend the money? I'm very interested in watching, paying attention next session to how it's working, and seeing if it's really accomplishing what they think it will. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt between now and then."
The commission also approved Butterworth's request to transfer $2.8 million from reserves to purchase "all-in-one" case management devices for use by child protection workers.
Butterworth said the handheld devices will allow them to download case files while out in the field, take photos, record statements and verify identifications for children and their families.
The technology is needed more than ever, he said, since lawmakers slashed child protection investigators by 37 percent despite rising caseloads.
The devices will dramatically cut down on paperwork, he said, allowing caseworkers to spend more time in children's homes. At the same time, the devices will also make caseworkers more accountable, by tracking their movements with a global positioning system, or GPS.
"We saw this as a way for them to work smarter, not harder," said Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Lutz, who led the effort in the Legislature to acquire the devices. "This is also our way to make sure the work gets done - and the children get better quality of care."
Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382 or cdolinski@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( HoosierBaby ) on June 19, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Higher case loads for child protection workers. I guess the state thiks a better use of $$$$ is jail time and welfare for those children that are raised to believe in their own success as adults.
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Posted by ( 5340 ) on June 19, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
With political appointments like Ed Hardy and others for $100,000 a year salaries, I guess taxpayers will have to pay more. Kids are the ones shortchanged and at then at risk.
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Posted by ( gg ) on June 19, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
It seems like our kids are always the ones that get short changed from education to protection. We think it's bad now...what will it be like 5 years from now or even 1 year from now. We will be finding more and more kids not getting the education they need or the protection they need and more and more will end up in jail. Our government needs to get a clue.
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