2023 Annual Accountability Report on the Health of Florida’s Child Welfare System

During the 2020 Legislative Session, the Florida Legislature passed and Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1326, which established the Office of Quality within the Department of Children and Families. In doing so, the State of Florida has codified its expectation of excellence in caring for our children, particularly those at the greatest risk for abuse and neglect, and the Department takes seriously this immensely important charge.

A key component is the obligation for the Department to measure and monitor the performance of internal and contracted operations and to recommend initiatives to correct identified deficiencies and drive performance outcomes. In accordance with Section 409.96(26), Florida Statutes, the Department developed a statewide accountability system that assesses the overall health of each circuit’s child welfare system by evaluating performance for child protective investigators, community-based care lead agencies, and children’s legal services. The Department collaborated with key stakeholders throughout the state who provided critical input, resulting in strong metrics and methodology in which all Floridians can have confidence.