summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/14/2026
01/14/2026
Crossed Over
02/26/2026
02/26/2026
Passed
Dead
03/13/2026
03/13/2026
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to child welfare; amending s. 39.01, F.S.; revising the definition of the term “visitor”; amending s. 409.1455, F.S.; renaming the Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program as the Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Program; deleting a provision limiting the duration of the program; requiring the department’s Office of Continuing Care to develop certain cohorts within specified regions, collaborate with certain organizations and recruit mentors and organizations, and provide eligible former foster youth with internship placement opportunities; deleting a provision requiring that the program be administered in a certain manner; deleting obsolete language; requiring the Office of Continuing Care to develop trauma-informed training for mentors of certain former foster youth which meets certain requirements; authorizing the office to provide certain additional trainings on mentorship of special populations; revising the amount of monthly financial assistance that the office shall provide to participating former foster youth; requiring the office to assign experienced staff to serve as program liaisons for a specified purpose; revising qualifications to serve as a mentor; authorizing the department to offer certain training to mentors in subsequent years; authorizing an employee who serves as a mentor to participate in certain additional trainings; deleting a provision authorizing the offset of a reduction in or loss of certain benefits due to receipt of a Step into Success stipend by an additional stipend payment; amending s. 1004.615, F.S.; requiring the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, in collaboration with the department’s Office of Quality and Office of Child and Family Well-being, to establish a certain best practices program; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill makes several changes to Florida's child welfare system, primarily by expanding and refining the "Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Program" for former foster youth. It renames the program to simply "Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Program" and removes a previous time limit, allowing it to continue indefinitely. The program will now focus on developing specific cohorts of youth within different regions of the state, with a requirement to collaborate with local chambers of commerce and recruit mentors and organizations, particularly in five specified counties. The bill also enhances the training for mentors, requiring trauma-informed training that includes interactive components, and allows for optional additional trainings on mentoring special populations. The monthly financial assistance for participating former foster youth is increased, and experienced staff will be assigned as program liaisons to support mentors. Additionally, the bill revises the qualifications for mentors, requiring them to have at least one year of experience in their career field, not just with the participating organization, and clarifies that employees serving as mentors can participate in further specialized training. It also removes a provision that allowed for additional stipend payments to offset benefit reductions, and mandates the Florida Institute for Child Welfare to establish a program to identify and catalogue best practices within the community-based care model. Finally, the bill updates the definition of "visitor" in child welfare cases to include a longer duration of presence in a child's home.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (0)
No sponsors listed
Other Sponsors (1)
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Senate)
Last Action
Died in Messages (on 03/13/2026)
Official Document
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