Recently, Florida’s child-welfare system was given a 10-month extension to its Title IV-E waiver allowing organizations the flexibility to use federal funds to serve children in their own homes and reducing the number of children in foster care.
In addition, the House of Representatives unanimously passed bill HR 6156 last week, authorizing all states to extend the waiver for five years with a five-year renewal. It is now time for the bill to go before the Senate, which, if passed, would be a giant step in helping children and families throughout the U.S.
Here, in north central Florida, the Title IV-E waiver helps fund prevention and diversion services to more than 1,000 families.
This enables agencies such as Partnership for Strong Families to assist families they previously would have been unable to serve. Not only does the Title IV-E waiver help to decrease the number of children in care through the use of these programs, but it is part of a statewide initiative to redesign Florida’s foster care system as a whole, creating more hope for children and families. Research has shown children who enter foster care are at greater risk of juvenile delinquency, later mental health problems, teenage pregnancy and have an increased school dropout rate. The Title IV-E waiver will give our staff the chance to prevent these outcomes by providing family-centered, strength-based services with the goal of keeping the family safely together.
Just more than a year ago, Partnership for Strong Families partnered with the Alachua County Library District to open The Library Partnership. This locally-based program aims to provide preventative-care services to families in Alachua County by offering centralized social services through a neighborhood resource center combined with a full-service public library branch. It is not uncommon to see The Library Partnership filled with after-school youth working on computers, a Girl Scout troop meeting and supportive conversations being held between patrons and staff. These typesof partnerships wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for the Title IV-E waiver.
At Partnership for Strong Families we strive to keep families together by providing family centered preventative and diversion services. The bill will not only provide hope for our children and families in Florida, but it will provide hope for children and families throughout the United States as they implement the same model of care we have proven successful in our region.
