HB 725

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to children in foster care; providing for
3	the creation of the Community Advisory Panel on Foster
4	Care Pilot Program in Duval County; providing purposes and
5	goals; providing for cooperative participation by
6	specified entities and individuals; creating the Community
7	Advisory Panel on Foster Care; providing for panel
8	membership; providing for a chairperson; providing duties
9	of specified judges and panel members; providing for
10	administration by a community-based care lead agency;
11	providing for hiring specified personnel; requiring
12	development of an assessment tool to determine the
13	effectiveness of the program; requiring an annual report;
14	providing for future expiration of the pilot program;
15	providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care Pilot
20	Program; creation; purpose; panel membership; court and panel
21	duties; administration; evaluation.--
22	(1)  There is created the Community Advisory Panel on
23	Foster Care Pilot Program in Duval County. The purpose of the
24	program is to identify educational needs and followup strategies
25	for foster children who are 6 through 12 years of age and are
26	enrolled in the Duval County school system. The goal of the
27	program is to ensure that youth who are in foster care will be
28	tested appropriately and placed in an educational environment
29	that optimizes their opportunities for success.
30	(2)  The pilot program shall consist of the cooperative
31	efforts of:
32	(a)  The Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care, as
33	created under this section;
34	(b)  The community-based care lead agency for foster care
35	and adoption in Duval County;
36	(c)  The case managers assigned to children in foster care;
37	(d)  The Duval County School Board;
38	(e)  Nova Southeastern University;
39	(f)  The foster care parents of children currently in the
40	foster care system;
41	(g)  When possible, the natural parents of children
42	currently in the foster care system; and
43	(h)  The circuit court judge hearing a foster care case.
44	(3)(a)  The Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care is
45	created in the Fourth Judicial Circuit and shall consist of the
46	chief judge for the circuit, or another judge from the circuit
47	designated by the chief judge who is the lead judge in the area
48	of dependency and adoption, and 15 community volunteers who are
49	community leaders having abilities and expertise in diverse
50	areas. The chief judge, or the judge designated by the chief
51	judge, shall serve as the chair of the panel. The 15 volunteers
52	shall be comprised of:
53	1.  Four members appointed by the chief judge, or by the
54	judge designated by the chief judge;
55	2.  Four members appointed by the Secretary of Children and
56	Family Services, or his or her designee;
57	3.  Four members appointed by the Duval County School
58	Board; and
59	4.  Three members appointed by the guardian ad litem for
60	Duval County.
61	(b)  The chief judge, or the judge from the circuit
62	designated by the chief judge, may issue orders and obtain
63	educational information relating to the students who are 6 to 12
64	years of age and are in the foster care system in District IV of
65	the department. Pursuant to the order, the panel shall review
66	the academic progress, behavioral issues, and attendance of each
67	student and shall recommend referral of any student for whom the
68	review demonstrates a need for followup services. The panel may
69	prioritize referrals by assessing the severity of need and
70	recommending that the most critical needs be met first. A
71	student who is failing may be referred for educational testing,
72	for additional psychological and therapeutic counseling as
73	recommended, or for both, to determine why he or she is failing
74	and what accommodations and remediation are needed.
75	(4)  The community-based care lead agency shall provide
76	administrative support for the Community Advisory Panel on
77	Foster Care and for the operation of the pilot program. In order
78	to help facilitate the duties of the panel, the agency shall
79	employ:
80	(a)  A full-time project coordinator who shall assist the
81	student's case manager in identifying resources for educational
82	testing and psychological and therapeutic counseling. In
83	addition, the project coordinator shall oversee the development
84	of an assessment tool that is designed to determine the
85	effectiveness of the pilot program.
86	1.  The purpose of the assessment tool is to link systems
87	among providers of educational services, psychological services,
88	and case-management services and the court system.
89	2.  The entity that designs the assessment tool must,
90	during the first year of the pilot program, undertake the
91	following tasks:
92	a.  Discovery. This phase includes meeting with information
93	technology staff from the department, school board staff, and
94	case managers.
95	b.  Development. This phase consists of determining the
96	best method for data entry, the best database, and the best data
97	format.
98	c.  Implementation. This phase involves completing,
99	testing, and delivering the assessment tool.
100	d.  Maintenance. This phase involves developing a
101	maintenance plan and schedule after the initiation of the
102	assessment tool.
103	(b)  A full-time psychologist who shall provide educational
104	testing and psychological and therapeutic counseling to foster
105	care children and provide advice, research, assessments, and
106	other services to the judges.
107	(5)  The project coordinator shall submit an annual report
108	on the pilot program to the chief judge of the Fourth Judicial
109	Circuit, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
110	of Representatives, the State Courts Administrator, and the
111	Secretary of Children and Family Services.
112	(6)  The pilot program expires on July 1, 2010.
113	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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