Senate Bill sb1996c1
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
By the Committee on Children and Families; and Senator Lynn
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to child welfare training
3 academies; amending s. 402.40, F.S.; replacing
4 the terms "dependency program" and "dependency
5 program staff" with the terms "child welfare
6 services" and "person who delivers child
7 welfare services," respectively; defining those
8 terms; redefining terms used in the section;
9 requiring the Department of Children and Family
10 Services to establish the core competencies for
11 a training curriculum; requiring collaboration
12 with experts and providers; requiring each
13 person who delivers child welfare services to
14 master particular components of the training
15 curriculum; directing the department to
16 competitively bid the contracts for the
17 training curriculum; requiring the Department
18 of Children and Family Services to annually
19 examine the advance training needs for child
20 welfare services; requiring the department to
21 develop minimum standards for a certification
22 process and minimum standards for trainer
23 qualifications; deleting a requirement that the
24 department contract with Tallahassee Community
25 College for the operation of one or more
26 training academies; providing for the roles of
27 the training academies; directing the
28 department to competitively bid training
29 academy contracts; requiring the core
30 competencies, standards for a certification
31 process, and standards for trainer
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
300-2210A-03
1 qualifications to be submitted to legislative
2 committees before entering into the competitive
3 bidding process; providing an effective date.
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5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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7 Section 1. Section 402.40, Florida Statutes, is
8 amended to read:
9 402.40 Child welfare training.--
10 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--In order to enable the state
11 to provide a systematic approach to staff development and
12 training for persons who deliver child welfare services which
13 dependency program staff that will meet the needs of such
14 persons staff in their discharge of duties, it is the intent
15 of the Legislature that the Department of Children and Family
16 Services establish, maintain, and oversee the operation of
17 child welfare training academies in the state. The
18 Legislature further intends that the staff development and
19 training programs that are established will aid in the
20 reduction of poor staff morale and of staff turnover, will
21 positively impact on the quality of decisions made regarding
22 children and families who require assistance from child
23 welfare services dependency programs, and will afford better
24 quality care of children who must be removed from their
25 families.
26 (2) DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:
27 (a) "Child welfare services" "Dependency program"
28 means any intake, protective investigations, preprotective
29 services, protective services, foster care, shelter and group
30 care, and adoption and related services program, including
31 supportive services, supervision, and legal services, provided
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
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1 to children who are alleged to have been maltreated or who are
2 at risk of becoming, are alleged to be, or have been found
3 dependent pursuant to chapter 39 whether operated by or
4 contracted by the department, providing intake, counseling,
5 supervision, or custody and care of children who are alleged
6 to be or who have been found to be dependent pursuant to
7 chapter 39 or who have been identified as being at risk of
8 becoming dependent.
9 (b) "Person who delivers child welfare services"
10 "Dependency program staff" means a person who has a
11 responsibility for supervisory, legal, and direct care or who
12 supports related work in the delivery of child welfare
13 services pursuant to chapter 39 staff of a dependency program
14 as well as support staff who have direct contact with children
15 in a dependency program.
16 (3) CHILD WELFARE TRAINING PROGRAM.--The department
17 shall establish a program for training pursuant to the
18 provisions of this section, and all persons who deliver child
19 welfare services dependency program staff shall be required to
20 participate in and successfully complete the program of
21 training pertinent to their areas of responsibility.
22 (4) CHILD WELFARE TRAINING TRUST FUND.--
23 (a) There is created within the State Treasury a Child
24 Welfare Training Trust Fund to be used by the Department of
25 Children and Family Services for the purpose of funding a
26 comprehensive system of child welfare training, including the
27 securing of consultants to develop the system and the
28 developing of child welfare training academies that include
29 the participation of persons who deliver child welfare
30 services dependency program staff.
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
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1 (b) One dollar from every noncriminal traffic
2 infraction collected pursuant to s. 318.14(10)(b) or s. 318.18
3 shall be deposited into the Child Welfare Training Trust Fund.
4 (c) In addition to the funds generated by paragraph
5 (b), the trust fund shall receive funds generated from an
6 additional fee on birth certificates and dissolution of
7 marriage filings, as specified in ss. 382.0255 and 28.101,
8 respectively, and may receive funds from any other public or
9 private source.
10 (d) Funds that are not expended by the end of the
11 budget cycle or through a supplemental budget approved by the
12 department shall revert to the trust fund.
13 (5) CORE COMPETENCIES.--
14 (a) The Department of Children and Family Services
15 shall establish the core competencies for a single integrated
16 preservice curriculum that ensures that every person who
17 delivers child welfare services possesses the knowledge,
18 skills, and abilities to competently carry out his or her work
19 responsibilities. This identification of core competencies
20 must be developed in collaboration with representatives of
21 professionals who have expertise in child welfare services and
22 providers that will be affected by the curriculum, to include,
23 but not be limited to, representatives from the
24 community-based care lead agencies, sheriffs' offices
25 conducting child protection investigations, and child welfare
26 legal services providers.
27 (b) The single integrated preservice curriculum to be
28 developed based on the core competencies established by the
29 department may be a compilation of different curriculum
30 development efforts based on specific subsets of core
31 competencies which are integrated for a comprehensive
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1 preservice curriculum required in delivering child welfare
2 services in this state. Each person who delivers child welfare
3 services shall master the components of the preservice
4 curriculum which are particular to that person's work
5 responsibilities.
6 (c) Notwithstanding s. 287.057(5) and (22), the
7 department shall competitively bid and contract for the
8 development, validation, and periodic evaluation of the
9 training curricula for the established single integrated
10 preservice curriculum. Only one training curriculum may be
11 developed for each specific subset of the core competencies.
12 (6) ADVANCED TRAINING.--The Department of Children and
13 Family Services shall annually examine the advanced training
14 that is needed by persons who deliver child welfare services
15 in the state. This examination must address whether the
16 advanced training that is currently provided should be
17 continued and must include the development of plans for
18 incorporating any revisions to the advanced training which are
19 determined to be necessary. This examination must be
20 conducted in collaboration with representatives of
21 professionals who have expertise in child welfare services and
22 providers that will be affected by the curriculum, to include,
23 but not be limited to, representatives from the
24 community-based care lead agencies, sheriffs' offices
25 conducting child protection investigations, and child welfare
26 legal services providers.
27 (7) CERTIFICATION AND TRAINER QUALIFICATIONS.--The
28 department shall, in collaboration with the representatives of
29 the professionals and providers described in subsection (5),
30 develop minimum standards for a certification process that
31 ensures that participants have successfully attained the
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
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1 knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to competently
2 carry out their work responsibilities and shall develop
3 minimum standards for trainer qualifications which must be
4 required of training academies in the offering of the training
5 curricula.
6 (8)(5) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING ACADEMIES.--The
7 department shall establish child welfare training academies as
8 part of a comprehensive system of child welfare training. In
9 establishing a program of training, the department may
10 contract for the operation of one or more training academies
11 to perform one or more of the following: to offer one or more
12 of the training curricula developed under subsection (5); to
13 administer the certification process; to develop, validate,
14 and periodically evaluate additional training curricula
15 determined to be necessary, including curricula for advanced
16 training or training that is specific to a region or
17 contractor or that meets a particular training need; or to
18 offer the additional training curricula with Tallahassee
19 Community College. The number, location, and timeframe for
20 establishment of additional training academies shall be
21 approved by the Secretary of Children and Family Services, who
22 shall ensure that the goals for the core competencies and the
23 single integrated preservice curriculum, the certification
24 process, the trainer qualifications, and the additional
25 training needs are addressed. Notwithstanding s. 287.057(5)
26 and (22), the department shall seek competitive bids for all
27 training academy contracts.
28 (9)(6) ADOPTION OF RULES.--The Department of Children
29 and Family Services shall adopt rules necessary to carry out
30 the provisions of this section.
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
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1 (10) MODIFICATION OF CHILD WELFARE TRAINING.--The core
2 competencies to be established for the single integrated
3 preservice curriculum as provided for in subsection (5), the
4 minimum standards for a certification process as provided for
5 in subsection (7), and the minimum standards for trainer
6 qualifications as provided for in subsection (7) must be
7 submitted to the appropriate substantive committees of the
8 Senate and the House of Representatives before entering into
9 the competitive bid process for either the development,
10 validation, or periodic evaluation of the training curricula
11 or for the training academy contracts.
12 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SB 1996
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 1996
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Requires that the core competencies developed are to be the
5 basis for a single integrated pre-service curriculum.
6 Requires persons delivering child welfare services to master
the components of the pre-service curriculum that are
7 particular to their job responsibilities.
8 Updates the defined terms and revises the definitions.
9 Permits the pre-service curriculum to be a compilation of
components of the core competencies and allows for the
10 development of only one training curriculum for each
component.
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Permits the Department of Children and Families to contract
12 with multiple contractors instead of a single contractor for
the development, validation, and periodic evaluation of the
13 pre-service curriculum.
14 Directs the Department of Children and Families to annually
examine the advanced training needed, develop minimum
15 standards for a certification process, and develop minimum
standards for trainer qualifications.
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Requires the Department of Children and Families to
17 collaborate with providers affected by the curriculum and
experts in the child welfare field.
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Establishes the roles of the child welfare training academies.
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Makes the Secretary of the Department of Children and Families
20 responsible for ensuring that the goals of the child welfare
training program are addressed.
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Requires that the core competencies, the minimum standards for
22 a certification process, and minimum standards for the trainer
qualifications be submitted to the appropriate Senate and
23 House of Representatives substantive committees prior to
entering into any competitive bid process provided by the
24 bill.
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