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Published: April 04 2013

ChildNet recently pulled together a group of Foster Care Agency CEOs and board chairs to develop a targeted strategy to promote legislation that supports the organization's ability to care for children involved in the child welfare system.

"Florida's child welfare system can continue to be one of the best in the country, but we need adequate funding to maintain and improve the level of service to abused, abandoned and neglected children in our community," said Emilio Benitez, President and Chief Executive Officer of ChildNet, which serves as the Community Based Care (CBC) lead agency in Broward and Palm Beach counties and is the single private non-profit entity responsible for administration of the local child welfare systems in each county.

The Legislative Advocacy Breakfast, hosted by Community Foundation of Broward, brought together representatives from ChildNet, Children's Home Society of Florida, Kids In Distress, Mental Health Association of Broward County, 4KIDS of South Florida, Devereux Florida, His House Children's Home, National Youth Advocate Program, ACTS, Camelot Community Care, FLITE, SOS Children's Villages, Family Central, Inc., Children's Services Council, Children's Harbor, Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Reyna Group Home.

"As board members we spend quite a bit of time fundraising, and this accounts for about 20 percent of our budgets; however, we seem to neglect the source of 80 percent of our budgets which is the legislature," said Alfredo Aguirre, board chair of Children's Home Society. "Our effort is meant to provide a united voice on behalf of the children in our community."

Funding for core child welfare services is a significant legislative priority which includes restoring more than $12 million in cuts, keeping the Title IV-E Waiver 3 percent increase and maintaining the federal adoption bonus.

Among the other issues discussed during the Legislative Advocacy Breakfast were adjusting the current formula to stabilize the system of care and allocating 10 percent, as opposed to 25 percent, of core funding and any additional new funding using the adjusted equity formula. Lawmakers need to ensure that critical behavioral health care for children and youth in foster care continues and that it can be improved by adding an exemption of Child Welfare BHOS to Chapter 409, F.S.

The agencies will work closely with legislators through board members and constituents from their districts to advocate for $16.4 million in new funds for additional case managers and support staff and supports increases that will improve well-being outcomes for children by reducing frontline turnover and increasing retention of case managers with proven track records of success.

"The cost to the state and the system is high if we do nothing," said Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein. "Together these 16 agencies serve as one voice for foster care."

ABOUT CHILDNET:
ChildNet has been chosen by the Florida Department of Children & Families to serve as the Community Based Care (CBC) lead agency in both Broward and Palm Beach counties. As such, it is the single private non-profit entity responsible for administration of the local child welfare systems in each county. It fulfills this responsibility by managing comprehensive networks of child welfare services providers and, in Broward, by also serving as the single centralized child welfare case management provider. The agency's mission is to protect abused, abandoned and neglected children in the communities it serves. Fulfillment of this mission requires constant input and support from community stakeholders and service providers.