Audit points out continuing issues in Florida's system

Audit points out continuing issues in Florida's system

The Associated Press
Posted June 19, 2006, 5:59 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Case managers are being paid less, but the cost
of privatizing the state's foster care system has soared in
recent years and high percentages of children are being repeatedly
abused, according to a state audit released Monday.

The Department of Children & Families, which oversees the foster care
program, has struggled to identify or fix underlying
contributors to the poor performance, the Office of Program Policy
Analysis and Government Accountability said in its 28-page audit.

DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi said the agency "generally concurs with the
findings," in its response to the audit.

OPPAGA compared data for the child welfare system from fiscal year
1998-99 -- the year before the state's transition to the private
sector -- to fiscal year 2004-05, the first year all contracts were
held by community-based agencies.

During that time, the average annual increase in per-child costs to
taxpayers has gone up an average of 10.59 percent a year -- or
almost 70 percent over the six years.

The system has also produced several improvements, OPPAGA noted,
including an increase in the number of foster kids being
adopted. The Legislature also came up with an additional $20 million
this year to address some of the issues.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,4810706.story
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