Department of Children and Families Secretary Jerry Regier got his budget request only half right. Regier wisely wants more money to protect abused seniors and Floridians with developmental disabilities, but his request virtually ignores the continuing needs of Florida's abused children. Regier should have sought relief in all program areas where key gaps remain - not pit one deserving group against another.
Regier last week submitted a proposal for $271-million in new spending, which would amount to a 3.3 percent overall bump for his agency. Much of that new money would go toward expanding services for the developmentally disabled and salaries for DCF workers who investigate abuse of the elderly. Only a minor portion would be spent on child welfare, including $18-million to boost adoption subsidies.
There's no question that programs for the elderly and disabled need and deserve more support. For years, DCF workers who investigate adult abuse have been underpaid, and the list of persons with developmental disabilities still waiting for help, currently about 10,000 Floridians, remains inexcusably long.
But Regier contradicts reality - and his own recent statements - by suggesting that child-protection is stable at its present level of funding. Only weeks ago, the DCF chief acknowledged what those in the field insist: Despite progress on some fronts, Florida's child-welfare system still has a long way to go.
The number of Florida children in foster care remains close to what it was a year ago, and 400 of them, mostly runaways, are missing today. More than one year after the state lost track of Miami's Rilya Wilson, the parade of tragedies marches on. Just last week, a 2-year-old Jacksonville girl was discovered - thankfully, alive - after being left home alone for nearly three weeks while her mother was in jail. According to reports, DCF had been alerted several times to possible danger to the child but had refused to intervene.
Nor can Regier justify his skimpy child-welfare request on the state's continuing push toward privatization. Community-based care may ultimately save the state money, but only if local agencies are given sufficient funds upfront to take over and improve the delivery of services. A recent analysis by the University of South Florida concludes that the state must be more realistic about resources if the statewide switchover is to succeed.
Money will no doubt be tight again this spring, when lawmakers meet to approve a final budget. Like other leaders, Regier can expect to get less than what he asks for. But he disserves the process - and Florida's children - by failing to press the governor and lawmakers for sufficient funding to address the gamut of agency needs.
