Senate Bill sb1318
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 1318
By Senator Wilson
33-647-03
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the safety of children;
3 providing a short title; providing legislative
4 intent; requiring certain children to be
5 enrolled in an early education or child care
6 program; providing attendance and reporting
7 responsibilities of the child's parent or
8 guardian and of the Family Safety Program
9 Office of the Department of Children and Family
10 Services; requiring law enforcement agencies to
11 investigate certain reports; providing an
12 effective date.
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14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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16 Section 1. Rilya Wilson Act; legislative intent;
17 requirements; attendance and reporting responsibilities.--
18 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
19 "Rilya Wilson Act."
20 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature recognizes
21 that children who are clients of the Family Safety Program
22 Office of the Department of Children and Family Services due
23 to abuse, neglect, or exploitation are at increased risk of
24 poor school performance and other behavioral and social
25 problems. It is the intent of the Legislature that children
26 who are currently clients of the Family Safety Program Office
27 of the Department of Children and Family Services be provided
28 with an age-appropriate education program to help ameliorate
29 the negative consequences of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
30 (3) REQUIREMENTS.--A child who is between the age of 3
31 years old and school-entry age who is a client of the Family
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 1318
33-647-03
1 Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and Family
2 Services due to abuse, neglect, or exploitation must be
3 enrolled in a licensed public or private early education or
4 child care program and must receive age-appropriate services 5
5 days a week. The child's parent, legal guardian, or foster
6 parent must select the program that meets their needs and
7 preferences in any licensed public or private early education
8 or child care program.
9 (4) ATTENDANCE AND REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES.--
10 (a) A child who has been placed in a licensed public
11 or private early education or child care program under this
12 section may not be withdrawn from the program without the
13 prior approval of the Family Safety Program Office of the
14 Department of Children and Family Services.
15 (b) A child who is covered by this act shall attend
16 the licensed public or private early education or child care
17 program 5 days per week.
18 (c)1. If a child who is covered by this act is absent
19 from the program on any day when he or she is supposed to be
20 present, the child's parent, legal guardian, or foster parent
21 must report the absence to the program by the end of the
22 program day. If the parent, legal guardian, or foster parent
23 fails to timely report the absence, the absence is considered
24 to be unexcused. A licensed public or private early education
25 or child care program shall report any unexcused absence of a
26 child who is enrolled in the program and is covered by this
27 act to the Family Safety Program Office of the Department of
28 Children and Family Services by the end of the program day
29 during which the child is absent.
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Florida Senate - 2003 SB 1318
33-647-03
1 2. The failure of a parent, guardian, or foster parent
2 to report two consecutive absences shall result in appropriate
3 intervention by the Family Safety Program Office.
4 3. Five consecutive unexcused absences constitute an
5 unapproved withdrawal that the Family Safety Program Office of
6 the Department of Children and Family Services must report to
7 the appropriate law enforcement agency, which shall
8 investigate the matter as a missing person report.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
10 law.
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13 SENATE SUMMARY
14 Creates the "Rilya Wilson Act." Requires that children
who are between the ages of 3 years and school age and
15 who are clients of the Family Safety Program Office due
to abuse, neglect, or exploitation be enrolled in an
16 early education or child care program 5 days a week.
Requires the child's parent, guardian, or foster parent
17 to report any absence to the education or child care
program, and requires that program to report the absence
18 to the Family Safety Program Office, on the day the
absence occurs. Provides for intervention by the office
19 after two consecutive absences. Provides for
investigation by a law enforcement agency after five
20 consecutive absences.
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