Bill > H0431

This bill aims to enhance child welfare services in Florida by requiring third-party credentialing entities, which are department-approved nonprofit organizations that meet national standards for certification programs, to administer field internship programs for students pursuing Bachelor or Master of Social Work degrees. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is also mandated to budget federal matching funds, specifically from Title IV-E, to provide financial support for educational purposes, such as tuition assistance and stipends, for individuals working in child welfare, including child protective investigators. Furthermore, the DCF must establish policies to govern the supervision of child protective investigators and other individuals providing child welfare services, setting limits on the number of staff one supervisor can oversee, with a default ratio of no more than 1 to 5 if specific policies are not in place.