Responding to political critics and child care advocates all over the state, Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday proposed significant new funding for child protection programs. The big ticket is $31 million for the Department of Children and Families to hire hundreds of new child abuse investigators and shore up quality assurance programs.
DCF Secretary Esther Jacobo says a shortage of investigators is one of the main problems at the agency, which is still explaining the deaths of dozens of children from abuse and neglect last year. Many blame DCF for reuniting children with parents who continue to abuse them but Jacobo says that's misunderstood.
"The idea that we would rather reunify than keep a child safe is just not so", Jacobo said. "We need to make better decisions about when to reunify a child and when to continue services or stop the services altogether."The governor's funding proposal must now be approved by the Florida Legislature, which has been slashing away at DCF funding for three years. But Jacobo is not worried.
"I'm new to this, I've only been secretary since July, right", pointed out Jacobo. "But every conversation I've had with legislators, all I've heard from them is how can we help?"
Jacobo called the governor's funding proposal "an historic and quick response" to the agency's issues.