Florida Senate - 2026 SB 996
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00983-26 2026996__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to dependent children; amending s.
3 39.4085, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
4 and Families and each community-based care lead agency
5 to coordinate with certain organizations and meet at
6 least quarterly for a specified purpose; authorizing
7 such meetings to be in person or via teleconference or
8 other electronic means; requiring such meetings to
9 have a formal agenda; requiring the department and
10 each community-based care lead agency to make certain
11 information available on their respective websites;
12 requiring, beginning in a specified year, the
13 department and each community-based care lead agency
14 to publish on their respective websites a biannual
15 report containing specified information; amending s.
16 409.145, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
17 requiring a caregiver to provide a weekly cash
18 allowance to each child in his or her care beginning
19 when the child attains a certain age; prohibiting a
20 caregiver from withholding a child’s allowance as
21 punishment; providing that a child may not be required
22 to use his or her allowance for certain items;
23 providing the amount of such weekly allowance;
24 encouraging caregivers to offer certain opportunities
25 and help to children in their care; authorizing the
26 department to adopt rules; providing an effective
27 date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 39.4085,
32 Florida Statutes, to read:
33 39.4085 Goals for dependent children; responsibilities;
34 education; Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.—
35 (6)(a) The department shall coordinate with organizations
36 that are focused on empowering children with lived experience
37 for the purpose of addressing challenges and opportunities for
38 children in the child welfare system. The department and such
39 organizations must meet at least quarterly in person or via
40 teleconference or other electronic means to solicit input on
41 ways to address such challenges and opportunities. Each meeting
42 must have a formal agenda, and such agenda and the minutes from
43 each meeting must be made available on the department’s website.
44 (b) Each community-based care lead agency shall coordinate
45 with organizations that are focused on empowering children with
46 lived experience for the purpose of addressing challenges and
47 opportunities for children in the child welfare system. The
48 community-based care lead agency and such organizations must
49 meet at least quarterly in person or via teleconference or other
50 electronic means to solicit input on ways to address such
51 challenges and opportunities. Each meeting must have a formal
52 agenda, and such agenda and the minutes from each meeting must
53 be made available on the community-based care lead agency’s
54 website.
55 (c) By February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning in
56 2027, the department and each community-based care lead agency
57 must make publicly accessible on their respective websites a
58 report that outlines how the department and the community-based
59 care lead agencies have implemented the suggestions received
60 from organizations in the meetings required under paragraphs (a)
61 and (b).
62 Section 2. Present subsection (5) of section 409.145,
63 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (6), a new
64 subsection (5) is added to that section, and paragraph (b) of
65 subsection (2) is amended, to read:
66 409.145 Care of children; “reasonable and prudent parent”
67 standard.—The child welfare system of the department shall
68 operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which
69 empowers all caregivers for children in foster care to provide
70 quality parenting, including approving or disapproving a child’s
71 participation in activities based on the caregiver’s assessment
72 using the “reasonable and prudent parent” standard.
73 (2) REASONABLE AND PRUDENT PARENT STANDARD.—
74 (b) Application of standard of care.—
75 1. Every child who comes into out-of-home care pursuant to
76 this chapter is entitled to participate in age-appropriate
77 extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities and to
78 receive a weekly cash allowance for personal use in accordance
79 with subsection (5).
80 2. Each caregiver shall use the reasonable and prudent
81 parent standard in determining whether to give permission for a
82 child living in out-of-home care to participate in
83 extracurricular, enrichment, or social activities. When using
84 the reasonable and prudent parent standard, the caregiver must
85 consider:
86 a. The child’s age, maturity, and developmental level to
87 maintain the overall health and safety of the child.
88 b. The potential risk factors and the appropriateness of
89 the extracurricular, enrichment, or social activity.
90 c. The best interest of the child, based on information
91 known by the caregiver.
92 d. The importance of encouraging the child’s emotional and
93 developmental growth.
94 e. The importance of providing the child with the most
95 family-like living experience possible.
96 f. The behavioral history of the child and the child’s
97 ability to safely participate in the proposed activity.
98 (5) CASH ALLOWANCE.—
99 (a) The Legislature finds that receiving a cash allowance
100 is a critical aspect of normalcy for a child. A cash allowance
101 teaches a child the value and use of money and promotes
102 independence, responsibility, and decisionmaking.
103 (b) A caregiver must provide each child in his or her care,
104 beginning when the child attains 6 years of age, a weekly cash
105 allowance that is not tied to the child’s behavior or the
106 completion of the child’s chores. A caregiver may not withhold
107 the child’s allowance as a form of punishment. A child may not
108 be required to use his or her allowance to purchase personal
109 hygiene items, school supplies, clothing, or other necessities
110 that are the responsibility of the child’s caregiver. The
111 minimum allowance is as follows:
112 1. For children ages 6 to 12 years, $1 for each year of age
113 per week.
114 2. For children ages 13 to 17 years, $20 per week.
115 (c) In addition to providing the allowance required under
116 paragraph (b), a caregiver is encouraged to do all of the
117 following:
118 1. Offer the opportunity to earn money through chores to a
119 child placed in his or her care.
120 2. Help a child placed in his or her care to obtain
121 employment, if the child wants to be employed.
122 (d) The department may adopt rules to implement this
123 subsection.
124 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.