HB 279

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the certification of child welfare
3personnel; amending s. 402.40, F.S.; revising legislative
4intent; defining the terms "child welfare certification"
5and "professional credentialing entity"; requiring persons
6who provide child welfare services to be certified by a
7professional credentialing entity approved by the
8Department of Children and Family Services; providing
9requirements for department approval; deleting
10requirements relating to the establishment of a department
11training program, including training academies; revising
12the use of a department trust fund; deleting certain
13rulemaking authority of the department; providing an
14effective date.
15
16Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18     Section 1.  Section 402.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to
19read:
20     402.40  Certification of child welfare personnel training.-
21     (1)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-In order to enable the state to
22provide a systematic approach to staff development and training
23for persons providing child welfare services that will meet the
24needs of such staff in their discharge of duties, It is the
25intent of the Legislature that each person providing child
26welfare services in this state earns and maintains a
27professional certification from a professional credentialing
28entity that is approved by the Department of Children and Family
29Services establish, maintain, and oversee the operation of child
30welfare training academies in the state. The Legislature further
31intends that the staff development and training programs that
32are established will aid in the reduction of poor staff morale
33and of staff turnover, will positively impact on the quality of
34decisions made regarding children and families who require
35assistance from programs providing child welfare services, and
36will afford better quality care of children who must be removed
37from their families.
38     (2)  DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section, the term:
39     (a)  "Child welfare certification" means a professional
40credential awarded to persons who have demonstrated competency
41and proficiency in a child welfare services practice area
42through the achievement of education, professional experience,
43and examination requirements that have been developed according
44to nationally recognized certification and psychometric
45standards.
46     (b)(a)  "Child welfare services" means any intake,
47protective investigations, preprotective services, protective
48services, foster care, shelter and group care, and adoption and
49related services program, including supportive services,
50supervision, and legal services, provided to children who are
51alleged to have been abused, abandoned, or neglected, or who are
52at risk of becoming, are alleged to be, or have been found
53dependent pursuant to chapter 39.
54     (c)(b)  "Person providing child welfare services" means a
55person who has a responsibility for supervisory, legal, direct
56care, or support-related support related work in the provision
57of child welfare services pursuant to chapters 39 and 409
58chapter 39.
59     (d)  "Professional credentialing entity" means a
60department-approved nonprofit organization that is governed by a
61board of directors composed of members who represent the
62population for which it awards credentials.
63     (3)  CHILD WELFARE CERTIFICATION.-Any person providing
64child welfare services in this state must earn and maintain a
65child welfare certification issued by a professional
66credentialing entity.
67     (4)  PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALING ENTITIES.-The department
68shall approve one or more professional credentialing entities
69for the purpose of awarding child welfare certification to
70persons who provide child welfare services. A professional
71credentialing entity shall request such approval in writing from
72the department. In order to obtain approval, the professional
73credentialing entity must:
74     (a)  Establish professional requirements and standards that
75applicants must achieve in order to obtain a child welfare
76certification and to maintain such certification;
77     (b)  Develop and apply core competencies and examination
78instruments according to nationally recognized certification and
79psychometric standards;
80     (c)  Maintain a professional code of ethics and a
81disciplinary process that apply to all persons holding child
82welfare certification;
83     (d)  Maintain a database, accessible to the public, of all
84persons holding child welfare certification, including any
85history of ethical violations; and
86     (e)  Require annual continuing education requirements for
87persons holding child welfare certification.
88     (3)  CHILD WELFARE TRAINING PROGRAM.-The department shall
89establish a program for training pursuant to the provisions of
90this section, and all persons providing child welfare services
91shall be required to participate in and successfully complete
92the program of training pertinent to their areas of
93responsibility.
94     (5)(4)  CHILD WELFARE TRAINING TRUST FUND.-
95     (a)  There is created within the State Treasury a Child
96Welfare Training Trust Fund to be used by the Department of
97Children and Family Services for the purpose of funding the
98professional development a comprehensive system of child welfare
99training, including the securing of consultants to develop the
100system and the developing of child welfare training academies
101that include the participation of persons providing child
102welfare services.
103     (b)  One dollar from every noncriminal traffic infraction
104collected pursuant to s. 318.14(10)(b) or s. 318.18 shall be
105deposited into the Child Welfare Training Trust Fund.
106     (c)  In addition to the funds generated by paragraph (b),
107The trust fund shall also receive funds generated from an
108additional fee on birth certificates and dissolution of marriage
109filings, as specified in ss. 382.0255 and 28.101, respectively,
110and may receive funds from any other public or private source.
111     (d)  Funds that are not expended by the end of the budget
112cycle or through a supplemental budget approved by the
113department shall revert to the trust fund.
114     (5)  CORE COMPETENCIES.-
115     (a)  The Department of Children and Family Services shall
116establish the core competencies for a single integrated
117curriculum that ensures that each person delivering child
118welfare services obtains the knowledge, skills, and abilities to
119competently carry out his or her work responsibilities. This
120curriculum may be a compilation of different development efforts
121based on specific subsets of core competencies that are
122integrated for a comprehensive curriculum required in the
123provision of child welfare services in this state.
124     (b)  The identification of these core competencies shall be
125a collaborative effort to include professionals with expertise
126in child welfare services and providers that will be affected by
127the curriculum, to include, but not be limited to,
128representatives from the community-based care lead agencies,
129sheriffs' offices conducting child protection investigations,
130and child welfare legal services providers.
131     (c)  Notwithstanding s. 287.057(3) and (21), the department
132shall competitively solicit and contract for the development,
133validation, and periodic evaluation of the training curricula
134for the established single integrated curriculum. No more than
135one training curriculum may be developed for each specific
136subset of the core competencies.
137     (6)  ADVANCED TRAINING.-The Department of Children and
138Family Services shall annually examine the advanced training
139that is needed by persons who deliver child welfare services in
140the state. This examination shall address whether the current
141advanced training provided should be continued and shall include
142the development of plans for incorporating any revisions to the
143advanced training determined necessary. This examination shall
144be conducted in collaboration with professionals with expertise
145in child welfare services and providers that will be affected by
146the curriculum, to include, but not be limited to,
147representatives from the community-based care lead agencies,
148sheriffs' offices conducting child protection investigations,
149and child welfare legal services providers.
150     (7)  CERTIFICATION AND TRAINER QUALIFICATIONS.-The
151department shall, in collaboration with the professionals and
152providers described in subsection (5), develop minimum standards
153for a certification process that ensures that participants have
154successfully attained the knowledge, skills, and abilities
155necessary to competently carry out their work responsibilities
156and shall develop minimum standards for trainer qualifications
157which must be required of training academies in the offering of
158the training curricula. Any person providing child welfare
159services shall be required to master the components of the
160curriculum that are particular to that person's work
161responsibilities.
162     (8)  ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING ACADEMIES.-The department
163shall establish child welfare training academies as part of a
164comprehensive system of child welfare training. In establishing
165a program of training, the department may contract for the
166operation of one or more training academies to perform one or
167more of the following: to offer one or more of the training
168curricula developed under subsection (5); to administer the
169certification process; to develop, validate, and periodically
170evaluate additional training curricula determined to be
171necessary, including advanced training that is specific to a
172region or contractor, or that meets a particular training need;
173or to offer the additional training curricula. The number,
174location, and timeframe for establishment of training academies
175shall be approved by the Secretary of Children and Family
176Services who shall ensure that the goals for the core
177competencies and the single integrated curriculum, the
178certification process, the trainer qualifications, and the
179additional training needs are addressed. Notwithstanding s.
180287.057(3) and (21), the department shall competitively solicit
181all training academy contracts.
182     (9)  ADOPTION OF RULES.-The Department of Children and
183Family Services shall adopt rules necessary to carry out the
184provisions of this section.
185     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.