Senate Bill sb0916
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 916
By Senator Wise
5-344A-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to children in foster care;
3 providing for the creation of the Community
4 Advisory Panel on Foster Care Pilot Program in
5 Duval County; providing purposes and goals;
6 providing for cooperative participation by
7 specified entities and individuals; creating
8 the Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care;
9 providing for panel membership; providing for a
10 chairperson; providing duties of specified
11 judges and panel members; providing for
12 administration by a community-based care lead
13 agency; providing for hiring specified
14 personnel; requiring development of an
15 assessment tool to determine the effectiveness
16 of the program; requiring an annual report;
17 providing for future expiration of the pilot
18 program; providing an effective date.
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20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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22 Section 1. Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care
23 Pilot Program; creation; purpose; panel membership; court and
24 panel duties; administration; evaluation.--
25 (1) There is created the Community Advisory Panel on
26 Foster Care Pilot Program in Duval County. The purpose of the
27 program is to identify educational needs and followup
28 strategies for foster children who are 6 through 12 years of
29 age and are enrolled in the Duval County school system. The
30 goal of the program is to ensure that youth who are in foster
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 916
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1 care will be tested appropriately and placed in an educational
2 environment that optimizes their opportunities for success.
3 (2) The pilot program shall consist of the cooperative
4 efforts of:
5 (a) The Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care, as
6 created under this section;
7 (b) The community-based care lead agency for foster
8 care and adoption in Duval County;
9 (c) The case managers assigned to children in foster
10 care;
11 (d) The Duval County School Board;
12 (e) Nova Southeastern University;
13 (f) The foster care parents of children currently in
14 the foster care system;
15 (g) When possible, the natural parents of children
16 currently in the foster care system; and
17 (h) The circuit court judge hearing a foster care
18 case.
19 (3)(a) The Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care is
20 created in the Fourth Judicial Circuit and shall consist of
21 the chief judge for the circuit, or another judge from the
22 circuit designated by the chief judge who is the lead judge in
23 the area of dependency and adoption, and 15 community
24 volunteers who are community leaders having abilities and
25 expertise in diverse areas. The chief judge, or the judge
26 designated by the chief judge, shall serve as the chair of the
27 panel. The 15 volunteers shall be comprised of:
28 1. Four members appointed by the chief judge, or by
29 the judge designated by the chief judge;
30 2. Four members appointed by the Secretary of Children
31 and Family Services, or his or her designee;
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 916
5-344A-07
1 3. Four members appointed by the Duval County School
2 Board; and
3 4. Three members appointed by the guardian ad litem
4 for Duval County.
5 (b) The chief judge, or the judge from the circuit
6 designated by the chief judge, may issue orders and obtain
7 educational information relating to the students who are 6 to
8 12 years of age and are in the foster care system in District
9 IV of the department. Pursuant to the order, the panel shall
10 review the academic progress, behavioral issues, and
11 attendance of each student and shall recommend referral of any
12 student for whom the review demonstrates a need for followup
13 services. The panel may prioritize referrals by assessing the
14 severity of need and recommending that the most critical needs
15 be met first. A student who is failing may be referred for
16 educational testing, for additional psychological and
17 therapeutic counseling as recommended, or for both, to
18 determine why he or she is failing and what accommodations and
19 remediation are needed.
20 (4) The community-based care lead agency shall provide
21 administrative support for the Community Advisory Panel on
22 Foster Care and for the operation of the pilot program. In
23 order to help facilitate the duties of the panel, the agency
24 shall employ:
25 (a) A full-time project coordinator who shall assist
26 the student's case manager in identifying resources for
27 educational testing and psychological and therapeutic
28 counseling. In addition, the project coordinator shall oversee
29 the development of an assessment tool that is designed to
30 determine the effectiveness of the pilot program.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 916
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1 1. The purpose of the assessment tool is to link
2 systems among providers of educational services, psychological
3 services, and case-management services and the court system.
4 2. The entity that designs the assessment tool must,
5 during the first year of the pilot program, undertake the
6 following tasks:
7 a. Discovery. This phase includes meeting with
8 information technology staff from the department, school board
9 staff, and case managers.
10 b. Development. This phase consists of determining the
11 best method for data entry, the best database, and the best
12 data format.
13 c. Implementation. This phase involves completing,
14 testing, and delivering the assessment tool.
15 d. Maintenance. This phase involves developing a
16 maintenance plan and schedule after the initiation of the
17 assessment tool.
18 (b) A full-time psychologist who shall provide
19 educational testing and psychological and therapeutic
20 counseling to foster care children and provide advice,
21 research, assessments, and other services to the judges.
22 (5) The project coordinator shall submit an annual
23 report on the pilot program to the chief judge of the Fourth
24 Judicial Circuit, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of
25 the House of Representatives, the State Courts Administrator,
26 and the Secretary of Children and Family Services.
27 (6) The pilot program expires on July 1, 2010.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 916
5-344A-07
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Provides for the creation of the Community Advisory Panel
on Foster Care Pilot Program in Duval County. Provides
4 purposes and goals. Provides for cooperative
participation by specified entities and individuals.
5 Creates the Community Advisory Panel on Foster Care.
Provides for panel membership. Provides for a
6 chairperson. Provides duties of specified judges and
panel members. Provides for administration by a
7 community-based care lead agency. Provides for hiring
specified personnel. Requires development of an
8 assessment tool to determine the effectiveness of the
program. Requires an annual report. Provides for future
9 expiration of the pilot program.
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