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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1494 |
| Positive Support for Parents in Neighborhoods (+SPiN) |
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| Requester: |
Julian Garcia, Jr. |
Organization: |
University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc |
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| Project Title: |
Positive Support for Parents in Neighborhoods (+SPiN) |
Date Submitted |
1/4/2008 9:05:29 AM |
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| Sponsors: |
Crist |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Florida Families in distress, fragile health or circumstances make up a significant percentage of the homeless population. The Statewide Plan For The Prevention of Child Abuse, Neglect, Abondonment, and Exploitation states "all families and communities ensure that children are safe and nurtured and live in stable environments that promote well-being". One of the objectives of the plan is to provide for adequate housing and economic security. The Annual Report of Homelessness in Florida, June 2005 states the following: "The primary causes of homelessness are poverty and the shortage of housing stock affordable to those with limited incomes. Other factors that contribute to a person's or families� episode of homelessness include: unemployment, physical and mental disabilities, family break-ups, domestic violence, and health problems and related costs. |
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| Recipient: |
University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc. |
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Contact: |
Julian Garcia, Jr., Executive |
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14013 North 22nd Street |
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Contact Phone: |
(813) 558-5212 |
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Tampa 33613 |
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Contact email: |
jgarcia@uacdc.org |
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| Counties: |
Hillsborough |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| To enhance services to families of the +SPIN program (who are homeless or at risk of being homeless) with family mediation and intervention services. An individual action plan will de developed for each family served. This plan may include and or all of the following: emergency housing assistance, intensive assistance with job readiness training and job placement, GED and vocational training, stable health, child safety measures, reunification and permanency. Identification of housing resources, service coordination, advocacy, and partnering with other community businesses, agencies, and programs will help assure children of homeless or families at risk of being homeless are prevented from entering and/or re-entering the foster care system. In addition to the great human trauma that is saved through this project intervention, the estimated savings in dollars to the state foster care system by keeping homeless children or at risk children out of the foster care system would be astronomical, ranging in excess of $1650 per month per child (Additional allowances are provided for children with behavior disorders, health issues, number of children in foster care household, etc. (For the 4182 foster care providers with one child and no additional allowances, the cost equals nearly 7 million dollars per month. Increasingly, the Positive Support For Families In Neighborhoods Program (+SPIN), a child abuse prevention program utilizing a strategy of family support to alleviate stressors known to contribute to the abuse and neglect of children, has seen an increase in cases presenting with the primary issue of homeless or imminent loss of shelter. A review of the seventy-two cases pertaining to homelessness that have come to +SPIN's attention in the last fiscal year revealed the following; 1) 98 % are female headed households, an aggregate of one hundred and seventy-one children would have potentially been added to the foster care population, children average age being 5 years, the majority of the caretakers had no criminal record, forty-six cases report medical or mental health issues, unpredictable health and employment changes were precipitating factors for 86 cases, 149 were unemployed or underemployed, and 14 had substance abuse issues. The total monthly income averaged out to be $819.00 a month. The 22 who were employed labored predominantly in the services sector (housekeeping, restaurant helpers, and CNAs) which tends to have low wages and limited benefits. 36 families were receiving food stamps, before being homeless, 119 families were renting apartments or duplexes with an average rent of $675 per month --- clearly, "one pay check away from children possibly entering the system". Eighty-seven referrals to +SPIN came from DCF Child Protective Investigations and Twelve cases were referred from Hillsborough Kids Inc. Among families who had been involved with child protection and referred to Positive SPiN in FY 2003/2004 95.3% had no further verified incidents of abuse or neglect after case closure. Among families who had been involved with child protection and referred to Positive SPiN in FY 2004/2005, 96.2% had no further verified incidents of abuse or neglect after case closure. |
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| To reduce the number of children who have come to the attention of child protective services (CPS) and therefore are more likely to be re-abused or re-neglected in the targeted zip code. To reduce the number of children with verified findings of abuse and neglect in the targeted zip code. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$500,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$1,305,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
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Cash Amount |
$305,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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Yes |
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Fiscal Year: |
2007-2008 |
Amount: |
$500,000 |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$500,000 |
To Fund: |
Operations |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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Yes |
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Agency |
Children And Family Services, Department Of |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
Unknown |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Hillsborough Cty Univ. Area Community Need Assessment, Statewide/Hillsborough Report On Homelessness |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
