Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris today applauded Governor Ron DeSantis’ Freedom First Budget and highlighted the Governor’s unwavering support of Florida’s children, families and vulnerable populations. The Governor’s budget proposes investments in enhancing and expanding mental health and substance abuse services, protecting and providing stable environments for Florida’s families, and strategic technology improvements that will more effectively and efficiently allow the Department to carry out its mission.
Secretary Shevaun Harris said, “The Freedom First Budget will make sure that our Department has the resources in place to serve Floridians in a proactive, holistic manner. The Governor and First Lady have shown time and time again that the well-being of Florida’s families is of utmost importance. Under the Governor’s leadership, we are focused on breaking down silos to holistically help families meet their specific needs and maximize those initial moments of impact. Our Department is charged with protecting Florida’s most vulnerable citizens, and this budget will go a long way in ensuring that we can further support family stability and child well-being.”
The Freedom First Budget:
Prioritizes Support for Behavioral Health and Foster Parents
- $188.6 million in behavioral health initiatives including mental health and substance abuse services to ensure Floridians get the help that they need.
- $133 million to provide services to those served by the child welfare system, including foster parent support and adoption subsidies, including:
- $8.9 million towards childcare subsidies for foster parents, assisting them in covering the cost of early education and child care by raising the foster care subsidy up to $300 per month.
- $11.2 million for maintenance adoption subsidies and adoption benefits for state employees to support adoptions of children from foster care.
- More than $24.6 million to continue support for the State Opioid Response grant.
Provides Stability and Protections for Children and Families
- Includes $32.6 million for ensuring stable placements for children in out-of-home care. This state investment will fill in federal funding inadequacies for Florida’s child welfare system.
- Stabilizes the Children’s Legal Services workforce by increasing funding for the office by $4.9 million. These front-line attorneys represent the Department’s child welfare cases in court and work to provide stability and permanency for children.
- Enhances the Department’s ability to ensure that equitable funding for Community-Based Care lead agencies who are providing the necessary services to children in the child welfare system. This $35 million funding will allow for enhancement of base funding to provide a higher level of service for children.
Enhances and Modernizes Department Technology and Systems
- Modernizes the state’s child welfare technology system by providing $25 million in funding to begin the replacement of the current system over the next three years.
- Provides $4.1 million in funding to Improve efficiencies for the Children’s Legal Services office by implementing a case management system. This will standardize how legal documents are maintained across the state and assist children in reaching permanency.
