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Kids Central, DCF team up to visit children

They will check on nearly 4,200 youths in foster care in five counties, including Hernando, this month.

By MARY SPICUZZA
Published March 5, 2005

Kids Central Inc. and the Department of Children and Families launched a program this week to visit thousands of children in foster care in Hernando and four neighboring counties.

During the next two weeks, they plan to visit all of the nearly 4,200 children receiving child welfare services in the DCF's District 13, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.

The partnership was designed to help Kids Central meet one of the requirements of the Feb. 2 "cure letter" sent by the DCF to address child welfare problems in the district. Kids Central has until March 18 to comply with the letter or risk losing its contract with the DCF.

"This will be another important milestone in meeting the cure letter's requirements," DCF District 13 administrator Don Thomas said.

In the cure letter, the DCF reprimanded Kids Central for not conducting monthly visits to all children in its care.

"Monthly visits are an absolute necessity in order for the Department and KCI to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the children we collectively serve," the letter states. "If children are not seen they cannot be protected."

Kids Central interim chief executive officer Jim Patrick and Thomas developed the partnership after a recent meeting. They plan to include about 250 workers from the case management agencies affiliated with Kids Central and the DCF, Kids Central spokeswoman Sara Roen Brady said.

Teams of caseworkers and officials from Kids Central and the DCF began visitations Wednesday and plan to visit nearly 4,200 children by March 15.

"This is the way community-based care is supposed to work," Brady said. "A good relationship has formed."

The DCF is asking employees to help by conducting visits, including during nights and weekends, Thomas said.

The program is a sign that the once-tumultuous relationship between Kids Central and the DCF has greatly improved, Brady said.

"They're working together to take care of kids," Brady said. "There's a whole new spirit of cooperation and working together. They've gotten over some hurdles, and working together is the solution."

Mary Spicuzza can be reached at mspicuzza@sptimes.com or 352 848-1432.

[Last modified March 5, 2005, 00:41:15]