House Bill 0039

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                  HB 39

        By Representative Chestnut






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to children in foster care

  3         placement or relative placement; requiring the

  4         development of a pilot educational enhancement

  5         project to provide specialized services to

  6         children in Alachua County and Citrus County;

  7         providing requirements; providing an effective

  8         date.

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10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  The Legislature finds that children

13  entering foster care placement or relative placement

14  experience frequent disruptions, due in part to the limited

15  supportive services available to the caregivers. The

16  Department of Children and Family Services shall develop a

17  pilot project in Alachua County and Citrus County with

18  licensed child-placing agencies to provide a specialized

19  educational enhancement program for children in foster care

20  placement or relative placement. The intent of the Educational

21  Enhancement Project is to provide reduced caseloads, increased

22  inservice training for foster parents, a salary to foster

23  parents, and additional support to foster parents and relative

24  caregivers through family liaison specialists. The project

25  shall provide services to children in foster care placement or

26  relative placement through educational and other supportive

27  services, in collaboration with the Anchor Center in Alachua

28  County. Training shall be provided to licensed foster parents

29  and relative caregivers to enhance their skills in providing

30  care to children. Four family liaison specialists shall

31  provide services as part of this project. Every effort shall

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                  HB 39

    52-166-99






  1  be made to employ in this project people who are served

  2  through the WAGES Program. The project shall receive funding

  3  necessary to be in operation by October 1, 1999.

  4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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  7                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Requires the Department of Children and Family Services
  9    to develop the Educational Enhancement Project in Alachua
      County and Citrus County, a pilot project to provide
10    services for children in foster care placement or
      relative placement.
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