House Bill 0855er

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  1

  2         An act relating to child welfare; amending s.

  3         39.201, F.S.; revising confidentiality of

  4         recorded central abuse hotline calls relating

  5         to child abuse, neglect, or abandonment;

  6         providing clarifying language for

  7         community-based care providers of foster care

  8         and related services; providing circumstances

  9         in which an officer or employee of the judicial

10         branch is not required to report child abuse,

11         abandonment, or neglect; amending s. 39.202,

12         F.S.; providing for the inclusion of the child

13         protection team in the list of those to whom an

14         alleged abuse reporter's name may be released;

15         amending s. 39.205, F.S.; exempting judges from

16         prosecution for failure to report; amending s.

17         39.301, F.S.; clarifying language relating to

18         initiation of protective investigations and

19         criminal investigations; clarifying that the

20         age of parents shall be factored into risk

21         assessments; changing certain time

22         requirements; amending s. 39.303, F.S.;

23         specifying additional supportive services to be

24         provided by child protection teams; requiring

25         certain training for medical personnel

26         participating in a child protection team;

27         revising reports of abuse, abandonment, or

28         neglect that must be referred to the Department

29         of Health for supportive services; revising

30         requirements relating to review of certain

31         cases of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and


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  1         standards for face-to-face medical evaluations

  2         by a child protection team; requiring

  3         collaboration between certain state agencies

  4         relating to reports of child abuse,

  5         abandonment, and neglect; amending s. 39.304,

  6         F.S.; providing for disposition of

  7         investigative photographs of physical abuse

  8         injuries and sexual abuse trauma; amending s.

  9         39.402, F.S.; clarifying that the court must be

10         informed of identified case plans at shelter

11         hearings; amending s. 383.402, F.S.; deleting a

12         reference to the Kayla McKean Child Protection

13         Act; revising duties of the local child abuse

14         death review committee and district

15         coordinators; amending s. 409.145, F.S.;

16         authorizing the Department of Children and

17         Family Services to provide additional

18         assistance for certain individuals leaving

19         foster care; amending s. 409.1671, F.S.;

20         prescribing times when summaries of

21         investigations must be provided to the

22         community-based agency; amending s. 409.175,

23         F.S.; requiring a plan for streamlining foster

24         parent training; creating s. 409.1753, F.S.;

25         specifying duties of the Department of Children

26         and Family Services or its agents regarding

27         foster care;  repealing s. 1, ch. 99-168, Laws

28         of Florida, which provides a short title naming

29         the Act the Kayla McKean Child Protection Act;

30         providing an effective date.

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

  2

  3         Section 1.   Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) and

  4  subsections (7), (8), and (9) of section 39.201, Florida

  5  Statutes, are amended to read:

  6         39.201  Mandatory reports of child abuse, abandonment,

  7  or neglect; mandatory reports of death; central abuse

  8  hotline.--

  9         (2)

10         (g)  The department shall voice-record all incoming or

11  outgoing calls that are received or placed by the central

12  abuse hotline which relate to suspected or known child abuse,

13  neglect, or abandonment. The recording shall become a part of

14  the record of the report, but, not withstanding s. 39.202,

15  shall be released in full only to law enforcement agencies and

16  state attorneys for the purpose of investigating and

17  prosecuting criminal charges pursuant to s. 39.205, or to

18  employees of the department for the purpose of investigating

19  and seeking administrative penalties pursuant to s. 39.206 is

20  subject to the same confidentiality as is provided to the

21  identity of the caller under s. 39.202. Nothing in this

22  paragraph shall prohibit the use of the recordings by hotline

23  staff for quality assurance and training.

24         (7)(a)  This section does not require a professional

25  who is hired by or enters into a contract with the department

26  for the purpose of treating or counseling any person, as a

27  result of a report of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, to

28  again report to the central abuse hotline the abuse,

29  abandonment, or neglect that was the subject of the referral

30  for treatment.

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  1         (b)  This section does not require an officer or

  2  employee of the judicial branch to again provide notice of

  3  reasonable cause to suspect child abuse, abandonment, or

  4  neglect when that child is currently being investigated by the

  5  department, there is an existing dependency case, or the

  6  matter has previously been reported to the department,

  7  provided there is reasonable cause to believe the information

  8  is already known to the department.  This paragraph applies

  9  only when the information has been provided to the officer or

10  employee in the course of official duties.

11         (8)  Nothing in this chapter or in the contracting with

12  community-based care providers for privatization of foster

13  care and related services as specified in s. 409.1671 shall be

14  construed to remove or reduce the duty and responsibility of

15  any person, including any employee of the community-based care

16  privatization provider, to report a suspected or actual case

17  of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect or the sexual abuse of

18  a child to the department's central abuse hotline.

19         (9)  On an ongoing basis, the department's quality

20  assurance program shall review calls reports to the hotline

21  involving three or more unaccepted reports on a single child,

22  where jurisdiction applies, in order to detect such things as

23  harassment and situations that warrant an investigation

24  because of the frequency or variety of the source of the

25  reports. The assistant secretary may refer a case for

26  investigation when it is determined, as a result of this

27  review, that an investigation may be warranted.

28         Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 39.202, Florida

29  Statutes, is amended to read:

30         39.202  Confidentiality of reports and records in cases

31  of child abuse or neglect.--


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  1         (4)  The name of any person reporting child abuse,

  2  abandonment, or neglect may not be released to any person

  3  other than employees of the department responsible for child

  4  protective services, the central abuse hotline, law

  5  enforcement, the child protection team, or the appropriate

  6  state attorney, without the written consent of the person

  7  reporting. This does not prohibit the subpoenaing of a person

  8  reporting child abuse, abandonment, or neglect when deemed

  9  necessary by the court, the state attorney, or the department,

10  provided the fact that such person made the report is not

11  disclosed.  Any person who reports a case of child abuse or

12  neglect may, at the time he or she makes the report, request

13  that the department notify him or her that a child protective

14  investigation occurred as a result of the report.  Any person

15  specifically listed in s. 39.201(1) who makes a report in his

16  or her official capacity may also request a written summary of

17  the outcome of the investigation. The department shall mail

18  such a notice to the reporter within 10 days after completing

19  the child protective investigation.

20         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 39.205, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         39.205  Penalties relating to reporting of child abuse,

23  abandonment, or neglect.--

24         (1)  A person who is required to report known or

25  suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect and who

26  knowingly and willfully fails to do so, or who knowingly and

27  willfully prevents another person from doing so, is guilty of

28  a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in

29  s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A judge subject to discipline

30  pursuant to s. 12, Art. V of the Florida Constitution shall

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  1  not be subject to criminal prosecution when the information

  2  was received in the course of official duties.

  3         Section 4.  Subsection (2), paragraph (b) of subsection

  4  (8), paragraph (c) of subsection (12), and subsections (14),

  5  (17), and (18) of section 39.301, Florida Statutes, are

  6  amended to read:

  7         39.301  Initiation of protective investigations.--

  8         (2)(a)  The department Upon notification by the

  9  department's central abuse hotline under subsection (1), the

10  designated child protective investigator shall immediately

11  forward allegations of criminal conduct to the municipal or

12  county notify the appropriate law enforcement agency of the

13  municipality or county in which the alleged conduct has known

14  or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect is believed

15  to have occurred.

16         (b)  As used in this subsection, the term "criminal

17  conduct" means:

18         1.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

19  child abuse, as defined in s. 827.03, or of neglect of a

20  child, as defined in s. 827.03.

21         2.  A child is known or suspected to have died as a

22  result of abuse or neglect.

23         3.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

24  aggravated child abuse, as defined in s. 827.03.

25         4.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

26  sexual battery, as defined in s. 827.071, or of sexual abuse,

27  as defined in s. 39.01.

28         5.  A child is known or suspected to be the victim of

29  institutional child abuse or neglect, as defined in s. 39.01,

30  and as provided for in s. 39.302(1).

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  1         (c)  Upon receiving a written report of an allegation

  2  of criminal conduct from the department receipt of a report,

  3  the law enforcement agency shall must review the information

  4  in the written report to and determine whether a criminal

  5  investigation of the case is warranted. and, If the law

  6  enforcement agency accepts the case for so, shall conduct the

  7  criminal investigation that shall be coordinated, it shall

  8  coordinate its investigative activities with the department,

  9  whenever feasible possible, with the child protective

10  investigation of the department or its agent. If the law

11  enforcement agency does not accept the case for criminal

12  investigation, the agency shall notify the department in

13  writing.

14         (d)  The local law enforcement agreement required in s.

15  39.306 shall describe the specific local protocols for

16  implementing this section.

17         (8)  The person responsible for the investigation shall

18  make a preliminary determination as to whether the report is

19  complete, consulting with the attorney for the department when

20  necessary.  In any case in which the person responsible for

21  the investigation finds that the report is incomplete, he or

22  she shall return it without delay to the person or agency

23  originating the report or having knowledge of the facts, or to

24  the appropriate law enforcement agency having investigative

25  jurisdiction, and request additional information in order to

26  complete the report; however, the confidentiality of any

27  report filed in accordance with this chapter shall not be

28  violated.

29         (b)  If it is determined that the child is in need of

30  the protection and supervision of the court, the department

31  shall file a petition for dependency.  A petition for


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  1  dependency shall be filed in all cases classified by the

  2  department as high-risk. Factors that the department may

  3  consider in determining whether a case is high-risk include,

  4  but are not limited to, the young age of the cases, including,

  5  but not limited to, cases involving parents or legal

  6  custodians of a young age, the use of illegal drugs, or

  7  domestic violence.

  8         (12)

  9         (c)  The department, in consultation with the

10  judiciary, shall adopt by rule criteria that are factors

11  requiring that the department take the child into custody,

12  petition the court as provided in this chapter, or, if the

13  child is not taken into custody or a petition is not filed

14  with the court, conduct an administrative review. If after an

15  administrative review the department determines not to take

16  the child into custody or petition the court, the department

17  shall document the reason for its decision in writing and

18  include it in the investigative file. For all cases that were

19  accepted by the local law enforcement agency for criminal

20  investigation pursuant to subsection (2), the department must

21  include in the file written documentation that the

22  administrative review included input from law enforcement. In

23  addition, for all cases that must be referred to child

24  protection teams pursuant to s. 39.303(2) and (3), the file

25  must include written documentation that the administrative

26  review included the results of the team's evaluation medical

27  evaluation. Factors that must be included in the development

28  of the rule include noncompliance with the case plan developed

29  by the department, or its agent, and the family under this

30  chapter and prior abuse reports with findings that involve the

31  child or caregiver.


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  1         (14)  No later than 60 30 days after receiving the

  2  initial report, the local office of the department shall

  3  complete its investigation.

  4         (17)  When a law enforcement agency conducts a criminal

  5  investigation into allegations of child abuse, neglect, or

  6  abandonment, photographs documenting the abuse or neglect will

  7  be taken when appropriate is participating in an

  8  investigation, the agency shall take photographs of the

  9  child's living environment. Such photographs shall become part

10  of the investigative file.

11         (18)  Within 15 days after the case is completion of

12  the investigation of cases reported to him or her pursuant to

13  this chapter, the state attorney shall report his or her

14  findings to the department and shall include in such report a

15  determination of whether or not prosecution is justified and

16  appropriate in view of the circumstances of the specific case.

17         Section 5.  Section 39.303, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         39.303  Child protection teams; services; eligible

20  cases.--The Department of Health shall develop, maintain, and

21  coordinate the services of one or more multidisciplinary child

22  protection teams in each of the service districts of the

23  Department of Children and Family Services.  Such teams may be

24  composed of appropriate representatives of school districts

25  and appropriate health, mental health, social service, legal

26  service, and law enforcement agencies. The Legislature finds

27  that optimal coordination of child protection teams and sexual

28  abuse treatment programs requires collaboration between the

29  Department of Health and the Department of Children and Family

30  Services. The two departments shall maintain an interagency

31  agreement that establishes protocols for oversight and


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  1  operations of child protection teams and sexual abuse

  2  treatment programs. The Secretary of Health and the Deputy

  3  Secretary for director of Children's Medical Services, in

  4  consultation with the Secretary of Children and Family

  5  Services, shall maintain the responsibility for the screening,

  6  employment, and, if necessary, the termination of child

  7  protection team medical directors, at headquarters and in the

  8  15 districts. Child protection team medical directors shall be

  9  responsible for oversight of the teams in the districts.

10         (1)  The Department of Health shall utilize and convene

11  the teams to supplement the assessment and protective

12  supervision activities of the family safety and preservation

13  program of the Department of Children and Family Services.

14  Nothing in this section shall be construed to remove or reduce

15  the duty and responsibility of any person to report pursuant

16  to this chapter all suspected or actual cases of child abuse,

17  abandonment, or neglect or sexual abuse of a child.  The role

18  of the teams shall be to support activities of the program and

19  to provide services deemed by the teams to be necessary and

20  appropriate to abused, abandoned, and neglected children upon

21  referral.  The specialized diagnostic assessment, evaluation,

22  coordination, consultation, and other supportive services that

23  a child protection team shall be capable of providing include,

24  but are not limited to, the following:

25         (a)  Medical diagnosis and evaluation services,

26  including provision or interpretation of X rays and laboratory

27  tests, and related services, as needed, and documentation of

28  findings relative thereto.

29         (b)  Telephone consultation services in emergencies and

30  in other situations.

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  1         (c)  Medical evaluation related to abuse, abandonment,

  2  or neglect, as defined by policy or rule of the Department of

  3  Health.

  4         (d)  Such psychological and psychiatric diagnosis and

  5  evaluation services for the child or the child's parent or

  6  parents, legal custodian or custodians, or other caregivers,

  7  or any other individual involved in a child abuse,

  8  abandonment, or neglect case, as the team may determine to be

  9  needed.

10         (e)  Expert medical, psychological, and related

11  professional testimony in court cases.

12         (f)  Case staffings to develop treatment plans for

13  children whose cases have been referred to the team.  A child

14  protection team may provide consultation with respect to a

15  child who is alleged or is shown to be abused, abandoned, or

16  neglected, which consultation shall be provided at the request

17  of a representative of the family safety and preservation

18  program or at the request of any other professional involved

19  with a child or the child's parent or parents, legal custodian

20  or custodians, or other caregivers.  In every such child

21  protection team case staffing, consultation, or staff activity

22  involving a child, a family safety and preservation program

23  representative shall attend and participate.

24         (g)  Case service coordination and assistance,

25  including the location of services available from other public

26  and private agencies in the community.

27         (h)  Such training services for program and other

28  employees of the Department of Children and Family Services,

29  employees of the Department of Health, and other medical

30  professionals as is deemed appropriate to enable them to

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  1  develop and maintain their professional skills and abilities

  2  in handling child abuse, abandonment, and neglect cases.

  3         (i)  Educational and community awareness campaigns on

  4  child abuse, abandonment, and neglect in an effort to enable

  5  citizens more successfully to prevent, identify, and treat

  6  child abuse, abandonment, and neglect in the community.

  7         (j)  Child protection team assessments that include, as

  8  appropriate, medical evaluations, medical consultations,

  9  family psychosocial interviews, specialized clinical

10  interviews, or forensic interviews.

11

12  All medical personnel participating on a child protection team

13  must successfully complete the required child protection team

14  training curriculum as set forth in protocols determined by

15  the Deputy Secretary for Children's Medical Services and the

16  Statewide Medical Director for Child Protection.

17         (2)  The child abuse, abandonment, and neglect reports

18  that must be referred by the Department of Children and Family

19  Services to child protection teams of the Department of Health

20  for an assessment medical evaluation and other appropriate

21  available support services as set forth in subsection (1) must

22  include cases involving:

23         (a)  Injuries to the head, bruises to the neck or head,

24  burns, or fractures in a child of any age.

25         (b)  Bruises anywhere on a child 5 years of age or

26  under.

27         (c)(b)  Sexual abuse of a child in which vaginal or

28  anal penetration is alleged or in which other unlawful sexual

29  conduct has been determined to have occurred.

30         (d)(c)  Venereal disease, or Any other sexually

31  transmitted disease, in a prepubescent child.


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  1         (e)(d)  Reported malnutrition of a child and failure of

  2  a child to thrive.

  3         (f)(e)  Reported medical, physical, or emotional

  4  neglect of a child.

  5         (g)(f)  Any family in which one or more children have

  6  been pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital or other health

  7  care facility, or have been injured and later died, as a

  8  result of suspected abuse, abandonment, or neglect, when any

  9  sibling or other child remains in the home.

10         (h)(g)  Symptoms of serious emotional problems in a

11  child when emotional or other abuse, abandonment, or neglect

12  is suspected.

13         (h)  Injuries to a child's head.

14         (3)  All abuse and neglect cases transmitted for

15  investigation to a district by the hotline must be

16  simultaneously transmitted to the Department of Health child

17  protection team for review. For the purpose of determining

18  whether face-to-face medical evaluation by a child protection

19  team is necessary, all cases transmitted to the child

20  protection team which meet the criteria in subsection (2) must

21  be timely reviewed by: a board-certified pediatrician or

22  registered nurse practitioner under the supervision of such

23  pediatrician for the purpose of determining whether a

24  face-to-face medical evaluation by a child protection team is

25  necessary.

26         (a)  A physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter

27  459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and is a

28  member of a child protection team;

29         (b)  A physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter

30  459 who holds board certification in a specialty other than

31  pediatrics, who may complete the review only when working


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  1  under the direction of a physician licensed under chapter 458

  2  or chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics and

  3  is a member of a child protection team;

  4         (c)  An advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed

  5  under chapter 464 who has a speciality in pediatrics or family

  6  medicine and is a member of a child protection team;

  7         (d)  A physician assistant licensed under chapter 458

  8  or chapter 459, who may complete the review only when working

  9  under the supervision of a physician licensed under chapter

10  458 or chapter 459 who holds board certification in pediatrics

11  and is a member of a child protection team; or

12         (e)  A registered nurse licensed under chapter 464, who

13  may complete the review only when working under the direct

14  supervision of a physician licensed under chapter 458 or

15  chapter 459 who holds certification in pediatrics and is a

16  member of a child protection team.

17         (4)  A Such face-to-face medical evaluation by a child

18  protection team is not necessary when: only if it is

19  determined that

20         (a)  The child was examined by a physician for the

21  alleged abuse or neglect by a physician who is not a member of

22  the child protection team, and a consultation between the

23  child protection team board-certified pediatrician, advanced

24  registered or nurse practitioner, physician assistant working

25  under the supervision of a child protection team

26  board-certified pediatrician, or registered nurse working

27  under the direct supervision of a child protection team

28  board-certified pediatrician, and the examining physician

29  concludes that a further medical evaluation is unnecessary;

30         (b)  The child protective investigator, with

31  supervisory approval, has determined, after conducting a child


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  1  safety assessment, that there are no indications of injuries

  2  as described in paragraphs (2)(a)-(h) as reported; or

  3         (c)  The child protection team board-certified

  4  pediatrician, as authorized in subsection (3), determines that

  5  a medical evaluation is not required.

  6

  7  Notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b), and (c), a child

  8  protection team pediatrician, as authorized in subsection (3),

  9  may determine that a face-to-face medical evaluation is

10  necessary.

11         (5)(4)  In all instances in which a child protection

12  team is providing certain services to abused, abandoned, or

13  neglected children, other offices and units of the Department

14  of Health, and offices and units of the Department of Children

15  and Family Services, shall avoid duplicating the provision of

16  those services.

17         (6)  The Department of Health child protection team

18  quality assurance program and the Department of Children and

19  Family Services' Family Safety Program Office quality

20  assurance program shall collaborate to ensure referrals and

21  responses to child abuse, abandonment, and neglect reports are

22  appropriate.  Each quality assurance program shall include a

23  review of records in which there are no findings of abuse,

24  abandonment, or neglect and the findings of these reviews

25  shall be included in each department's quality assurance

26  reports.

27         Section 6.  Subsection (1) of section 39.304, Florida

28  Statutes, is amended to read:

29         39.304  Photographs, medical examinations, X rays, and

30  medical treatment of abused, abandoned, or neglected child.--

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  1         (1)(a)  Any person required to investigate cases of

  2  suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect may take or

  3  cause to be taken photographs of the areas of trauma visible

  4  on a child who is the subject of a report. Any child

  5  protection team that examines a child who is the subject of a

  6  report must take, or cause to be taken, photographs of any

  7  areas of trauma visible on the child. Such Photographs of

  8  physical abuse injuries, or duplicates thereof, shall be

  9  provided to the department for inclusion in the investigative

10  file and shall become part of that file. Photographs of sexual

11  abuse trauma shall be made part of the child protection team

12  medical record.

13         (b)  If the areas of trauma visible on a child indicate

14  a need for a medical examination, or if the child verbally

15  complains or otherwise exhibits distress as a result of injury

16  through suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or is

17  alleged to have been sexually abused, the person required to

18  investigate may cause the child to be referred for diagnosis

19  to a licensed physician or an emergency department in a

20  hospital without the consent of the child's parents or legal

21  custodian. Such examination may be performed by any licensed

22  physician or an advanced registered nurse practitioner

23  licensed pursuant to chapter 464. Any licensed physician, or

24  advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed pursuant to

25  chapter 464, who has reasonable cause to suspect that an

26  injury was the result of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect

27  may authorize a radiological examination to be performed on

28  the child without the consent of the child's parent or legal

29  custodian.

30         Section 7.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (8) of section

31  39.402, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:


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  1         39.402  Placement in a shelter.--

  2         (8)

  3         (f)  At the shelter hearing, the department shall

  4  inform the court of:

  5         1.  Any identified current or previous case plans

  6  negotiated in any district with the parents or caregivers

  7  under this chapter and problems associated with compliance;

  8         2.  Any adjudication of the parents or caregivers of

  9  delinquency;

10         3.  Any past or current injunction for protection from

11  domestic violence; and

12         4.  All of the child's places of residence during the

13  prior 12 months.

14         Section 8.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (3), subsection

15  (7), and paragraph (g) of subsection (18) of section 383.402,

16  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

17         383.402  Child abuse death review; State Child Abuse

18  Death Review Committee; local child abuse death review

19  committees.--

20         (3)  The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee

21  shall:

22         (i)  Educate the public regarding the provisions of

23  chapter 99-168, Laws of Florida Kayla McKean Child Protection

24  Act, the incidence and causes of child abuse death, and ways

25  by which such deaths may be prevented.

26         (7)  Each local child abuse death review committee

27  shall:

28         (a)  Review all deaths resulting from child abuse which

29  are reported to the Office of Vital Statistics.

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  1         (a)(b)  Assist the state committee in collecting data

  2  on deaths that are the result of child abuse, in accordance

  3  with the protocol established by the state committee.

  4         (b)(c)  Submit written reports at the direction of the

  5  state committee. The reports must include nonidentifying

  6  information on individual cases and the steps taken by the

  7  local committee and private and public agencies to implement

  8  necessary changes and improve the coordination of services and

  9  reviews.

10         (c)(d)  Submit all records requested by the state

11  committee at the conclusion of its review of a death resulting

12  from child abuse.

13         (d)(e)  Abide by the standards and protocols developed

14  by the state committee.

15         (e)(f)  On a case-by-case basis, request that the state

16  committee review the data of a particular case.

17         (18)  Each district administrator of the Department of

18  Children and Family Services must appoint a child abuse death

19  review coordinator for the district. The coordinator must have

20  knowledge and expertise in the area of child abuse and

21  neglect. The coordinator's general responsibilities include:

22         (g)  Notifying the district administrator, the

23  Secretary of Children and Family Services, and the Deputy

24  Secretary for of Children's Medical Services, and the

25  Department of Health Child Abuse Death Review Coordinator

26  Assistant Health Officer of all child abuse deaths meeting

27  criteria for review as specified in this section within 1

28  working day after verifying the child's death was due to

29  abuse, neglect, or abandonment learning of the child's death.

30         Section 9.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

31  409.145, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:


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  1         409.145  Care of children.--

  2         (3)

  3         (b)  The services of the foster care program shall

  4  continue for those individuals 18 to 21 years of age only for

  5  the period of time the individual is continuously enrolled in

  6  high school, in a program leading to a high school equivalency

  7  diploma as defined in s. 229.814, or in a full-time career

  8  education program. Services shall be terminated upon

  9  completion of or withdrawal or permanent expulsion from high

10  school, the program leading to a high school equivalency

11  diploma, or the full-time career education program. In

12  addition, the department may, based upon the availability of

13  funds, provide assistance to those individuals who leave

14  foster care when they attain 18 years of age and subsequently

15  request assistance prior to their 21st birthday. The following

16  are examples of assistance that may be provided: referrals for

17  employment, services for educational or vocational

18  development, and housing assistance.

19         Section 10.  Subsection (3) of section 409.1671,

20  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

21         409.1671  Foster care and related services;

22  privatization.--

23         (3)(a)  In order to help ensure a seamless child

24  protection system, the department shall ensure that contracts

25  entered into with community-based agencies pursuant to this

26  section include provisions for a case-transfer process to

27  determine the date that the community-based agency will

28  initiate the appropriate services for a child and family. This

29  case-transfer process must clearly identify the closure of the

30  protective investigation and the initiation of service

31  provision. At the point of case transfer, and at the


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  1  conclusion of an investigation, the department must provide a

  2  complete summary of the findings of the investigation to the

  3  community-based agency.

  4         (b)  The contracts must also ensure that each

  5  community-based agency shall furnish regular status reports of

  6  its cases to the department as specified in the contract. A

  7  provider may not discontinue services without prior written

  8  notification to the department. After discontinuing services

  9  to a child or a child and family, the community-based agency

10  must provide a written case summary, including its assessment

11  of the child and family, to the department.

12         (c)  The annual contract between the department and

13  community-based agencies must include provisions that specify

14  the procedures to be used by the parties to resolve

15  differences in interpreting the contract or to resolve

16  disputes as to the adequacy of the parties' compliance with

17  their respective obligations under the contract.

18         Section 11.  Present paragraph (c) of subsection (13)

19  of section 409.175, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as

20  paragraph (d) and a new paragraph (c) is added to that section

21  to read:

22         409.175  Licensure of family foster homes, residential

23  child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies.--

24         (13)

25         (c)  In consultation with foster parents, each district

26  or lead agency shall develop a plan for making the completion

27  of the required training as convenient as possible for

28  potential foster parents and emergency-shelter parents. The

29  plan should include, without limitation, such strategies as

30  providing training in nontraditional locations and at

31  nontraditional times. The plan must be revised at least


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  1  annually and must be included in the information provided to

  2  each person applying to become a foster parent or

  3  emergency-shelter parent.

  4         Section 12.  Section 409.1753, Florida Statutes, is

  5  created to read:

  6         409.1753  Foster care; duties.--The department shall

  7  ensure that, within each district, each foster home is given a

  8  telephone number for the foster parent to call during normal

  9  working hours whenever immediate assistance is needed and the

10  child's caseworker is unavailable. This number must be staffed

11  and answered by individuals possessing the knowledge and

12  authority necessary to assist foster parents.

13         Section 13.  Section 1 of chapter 99-168, Laws of

14  Florida, is repealed.

15         Section 14.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

16  law.

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