Adoption, foster care privatized in Florida

[UpInArms]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050417/NEWS06/504170477/1012/NEWS06

Miami -- Florida has become the first state in the nation to fully privatize its child welfare programs, after signing a $75 million contract to hand over those responsibilities in its last two counties.

The deal Friday with Our Kids Inc. gives the group the right to handle all foster care, adoption and child welfare licensing operations in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, where about 5,000 children are now under state care.

...a bit more...

[acmejack]

1. The republicon panacea

Privatization. If it doesn't work, privatize it, going for profit solves everything!

[rodeodance]

5. repugs also want to privitize security airline peronal--it is there solu-

tion to yesterdays report that our skies are no more safer now than pre-9/ll.

I heard this on cnn this am. sorry if off topic--but certainly closely related.

[reprobate]

24. Does noone remember that it WAS privatized BEFORE 9/11?

That was the reason it was federalized in the first place!

Oil shortage? Hell, America has a memory shortage.

[MountainLaurel]

37. ABSOLUTELY reprobate

What was the name of the company again? Wonder if they'll end up as one of the service providers this time around too?

[cornermouse]

2. Oversight? What's that?

This will come back and bite Jeb and the repubs.

[KittyWampus]

3. Can The Florida Child Welfare System Sink Any Lower Under Jeb?

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. It just did

One thing Jeb is good at is privatizing so that he can eliminate all accountability. Makes it a lot easier to point fingers at each other, when they get in trouble again.

[rodeodance]

6. no, i do not think so. Jeb et al will just blame it on the private compan

ies. and any problems will just on and on.

[flordehinojos]

7. these bushes all, from poppy, to jr., to jeb, to babs, not to mention

george p., noelle, jebbie and all the rest are all a bunch of throw ups. i can't think of anybody that makes me want to throw up more than any of these bushes.

the consequences of their devastation and ramsacking of this nation is far greater than all of the devastation, pain and suffering we witnessed happening on 9/11 ... but because we don't "see" what they do... and because they are good at covering up and blaming others, we just let it go on, and on, like the song that never ends.

[alarimer]

8. I hate to say this

But something really bad is going to happen because of this. I mean the Florida system already had a lot of bad things happen but I think you will see a lot more abused and dead kids.

[katmondoo]

9. Who will prevent kids from being taken away from parents

for no valid reason to be used and abused and even sold into prostitution? Who oversees the people doing this job? The more I think of what could happen the more frightening it gets.

[RobinA]

22. Oh, For God's Sake

Get a grip. There are a lot of potential problems with privatization, but this isn't one of them. Judges will still make to ultimate decision.

[jdj]

35. it means gays will never adopt, and it means religious freaks

will get these kids.

[RobinA]

53. Why?

In PA we have many private agencies handling foster care and adoption. We've got gay foster parents through outside agencies. The whole gay adoption thing has nothing to do with private agencies versus public agencies. Stupid attitudes exist at all levels. As do fundie foster parents.

[alarimer]

36. I just don't see how the profit motive helps here

If the company needs to turn a profit, they have to cut corners somewhere (probably employee pay). I am guessing they are paid by the state on a contract basis (probably no-bid, knowing how the Repubs operate). I am just surprised the contract didn't go to Halliburton.

[cap]

10. i agree

lowest cost bidder will win

[fooj]

49. I'm afraid so...

:cry:

[jeffrey_X]

57. and a lot of rich corporate executives....

nfm

[PSPS]

11. Our Kids, Inc.

I wonder what the connection is between Jeb and "Our Kids, Inc." Since this will be funded with taxpayer dollars, will some of those funds somehow make it back to Jeb? Does its CEO get tens of millions of dollars a year in "compensation?" Is it a profit-making corporation? If so, will the cost to perform the same task as before go up in order to give "investors" a "good return?" Will its mission be to do a good job, or provide an "attractive investment opportunity?"

This reeks to high heaven. Sure, Florida has had its problems. But privatizing isn't the answer, especially if it's a profit-making corporation.

Well, sure enough, it is a for-profit corporation, run by Lynn and Larry Trimble in Jupiter, Florida.

http://www.sunbiz.org/COR/2004/0219/79600710.tif

Gee, they're into retail too.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,306805,00.html

I guess I'm just a cynic, but the combination of "Bush" and "privatize" sets my alarm bells off.

[halobeam]

12. This womans company for bedsheets was called "Our Kids Inc"

how disgusting is this. Five million dollar bedsheet company will be responsible for Floridas kids? Ughhhh. Losing my breakfast over this corporate insanity.

*snip* from your second link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,306805,00.html

Unlike traditional crib sheets that can come loose and suffocate babies, Trimble's product has end pockets that wrap around the crib mattress. Two months after the show, Trimble, 39, discovered her brand was one of seven that passed a safety test conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute and the American Society of Testing and Materials. That led to coverage on the Today show and Good Morning America and in Good Housekeeping. Web sales for Trimble's Jupiter, Florida, business, Our Kids Inc., jumped 30 percent.

Buyers from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom now license the product internationally. The sheets are sold in independent U.S. stores, and 2003 sales are projected to exceed $5 million. Now negotiating with major retailers, Trimble's dedication to safety has made her product a household

[soup]

15. Thank you PSPS.

and welcome to DU! :hi:

One of the many reasons I love these forums is the people who go an extra step to provide information. Someone who reads an article, and seeing "Our Kids, Inc.", decides to do a little research and share the findings here.

Someone like you. :)

Glad you found us.

[soup]

25. Our Kids, Inc. - a for-profit corporation

I'm really having no luck finding anything else on "Our Kids, Inc." than what you've provided. If they are one and the same, then according to this report, they shouldn't have been allowed to even make a bid.

Florida's Privatization Of Child
Welfare Services - New Legislation

On May 22, 1998, Governor Lawton Chiles signed sweeping child welfare legislation, HB 3217, which will result in statewide privatization of foster care and related services, establish a three-county pilot program which will transfer child protective services investigations from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to the county sheriffs, and transfer child welfare legal services in four counties from DCFS to the State Attorney or the Office of the Attorney General.

The groundwork for HB 3217 was laid in 1996 when legislation mandated the establishment of four privatization pilots across the state. Sarasota County’s pilot has been the broadest, where a coalition of local nonprofit providers has been providing all child welfare services except child protective investigations, children’s mental health services, and legal services.

What Services Will Be Privatized?

HB 3217 will privatize foster care and "related services," which include family preservation, independent living, emergency shelter, residential group care, foster care, therapeutic foster care, intensive residential treatment, foster care supervision, case management, postplacement supervision, permanent foster care, and family reunification.

How Soon Will Contracting Out Be Implemented?

The shift will be phased in over a three year period beginning January 1, 2000.

Will There Be Competitive Bidding?

Yes.

Who Is Eligible To Bid?

Community-based nonprofit agencies are the only eligible entities. Public agencies and for-profit businesses cannot bid on contracts.
http://www.afscme.org/pol-leg/cwfs06.htm

:shrug:

---
on edit:

NEVER MIND. Found this conflicting info:

>The law immediately expands the successful Manatee County privatization pilot program, allowing Pasco and Pinellas counties to begin transferring the child-protection function of the DCF to the sheriff’s office. The law allows the rest of the child-welfare functions, from foster care to adoption and family services, to be contracted out to a private provider, either for-profit or nonprofit, as long as the provider is community-based.<
http://www.reason.org/pwatch.html

I need a nap.

[cosmicdot]

43. how long before there's a merger & acquisition in Our Kids, Inc.'s future?

isn't that what modern corporations do?

maybe GE will get into the business?

even if there's competitive bidding ... Our Kids, Inc. basically will be like the local cable company ...

what if Our Kids, Inc. goes belly up or fails?

who takes over responsibility?

what happens to our kids?



or are all these concerns taken care of?

[EFerrari]

56. The thing to do is run a search on the Trimbles. n/t

[Rose Siding]

13. Does FL still pay benefits to govt workers?

If cost-cutting private companies pay less, before long the case workers will need case workers.

[SouthernDem2004]

14. This started in 1996 when Lawton Chiles was govenor. A Democrat so

stop jumping to conclusions that make us look bad. Do some research before making claims.

[skepticalndnc]

16. could you explain?

I'm not disputing you but I would like to see your research on Gov. Chiles. Did this actually start under Chiles? Did he look into it while he was Gov.? A lot of governments look into a lot of ways to best serve the people, save money, etc. without actually starting the process. If Chiles started it, why did it take 9 years before Bush could complete it? Just curious.

[SouthernDem2004]

17. Test programs started in 1996. Link:

http://www.rppi.org/ps271.html#_Toc487977315

Test programs ran for a long time before it started to become widespread.

[skepticalndnc]

18. Interesting

Looks good on paper. There is still a problem of state oversite and the company doing the work basically being a sheet manufacturer. I read the Kansas study too and that is probably more the reality. Private foster care is more expensive than first realized by the private company. Personally, I fear for our children.

[Rose Siding]

19. Here's a media rpt from '03

Report: Privatization adding to DCF woes

The shift toward private management of Florida's foster care system may be worsening an already troubled program, a newly released report by the state Senate says.

High turnover, unattractive salaries and long work hours have hampered the state's foster care effort for many years, says the report by the Senate's Children & Families Committee. But the move toward private management has further upended the program's shaky management structure, it says.

''Effective supervisory practice begins with supervisors who have the education, experience and training to effectively manage and support child-welfare counselors and their cases,'' the report says.

``To some degree, however, the elements of the job in Florida's child-welfare system undermine its ability to attract and retain appropriately educated, trained and experienced supervisors.''

A department spokesman did not return a call for comment.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/5045536.htm

[sonicx]

23. Your link said the Florida legislature did it, who controlled it?

[fasttense]

21. Are you sure it's not still Clinton's fault?

You know he liked privatization too. Hmm, if any Repug does anything a Democrat did then we all know if it fails, it's the Dem's fault.

[SouthernDem2004]

38. I have no idea what you are talking about.

Try Civics 101 for information on the structure of the US ie. State vs Federal.

[Bridget Burke]

40. But Jeb's been in charge for some time now.

It's on his head.

[SouthernDem2004]

42. Ah the blame game. Thats the problem. Problems need to be fixed instead

of wasting time trying to pin blame on someone.

[sonicx]

50. Republicans are to blame. Defeating them will fix the problem.

Seems pretty simple, no?

[Bridget Burke]

51. I agree.

Not all Southern Democrats are really Republicans.

[SouthernDem2004]

55. No. They are not the only ones to blame.

[PurityOfEssence]

20. We hate government; let us run it for you.

The naked agendum is quite clear: starve the beast from without by damming up the revenue streams, and dismantle it from within for their lords and masters, the Gods of Corporatopia.

[konominut]

26. If it's a private company then

Can anyone adopt? The private company should be able to determine whether someone can be a parent. Maybe this is a way around the anti gay adoption laws? Probably not though.... sad...

[jwirr]

29. Private organizations such as Lutheran Social Services

have been doing adoptions for years. They have to go through the courts just as the government agency would.

[cosmicdot]

41. Lutheran Services is a 501(c)(3) organization

vs. a Jack in the Box or Our Kids, Inc.

I mention this distinction with the hopes that LS has more of a 'human' structure and touch than a corporate entity would have

I see that they have an active volunteer program, for example

[DulceDecorum]

48. Republicans and 501(c)(3) organizations is not a good mix.

You could read this article in The Nashua Advocate, for starters, a primer on how to get 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status when your organization is, in fact, a right-wing propaganda organ.
http://nashuaadvocate.blogspot.com/2005/03/they-get-what-you-pay-for-neo.html

Not trying to slam the Lutherans,
Just saying that
Republicans and 501(c)(3) organizations is not a good mix.

[Kingofalldems]

27. It's all about cheap labor

and giving taxpayer monies to big business. I understand that the Fl. building trades are also using outsource labor i.e. no construction laborer, skilled or unskilled, has a regular job. They report to a temp agency every day to be assigned. No benefits at all and they have no say in the matter. GOP heaven.

[bleedingheart]

31. yeah but how much cheaper than they are handling it now?

many of the people working in child welfare aren't paid well...

[jwirr]

28. As a parent of a special needs individual in Minnesota

I am wondering how their system differs from the one we have in Minnesota? Our foster homes, group homes, counseling services, therapy services, achievement centers, etc. are almost all private, for profit and/or non-profit. What makes them effective is the oversight by a social worker (government case worker), who is responsible for the placement, funding and care of the client and can be sued for malpractice if the state fails to oversee.

I think this began in Florida in a Democrat's term because it is part of the community based movement that many of us parents have lobbied for years to build. Compared to state run institutions the private services in our state are a miracle. I would worry about the quality of care for clients in a bushie state though because he does not see it as a "I am my brothers keeper" issue. To them it is only an unwanted burden to the taxpayers.

I think it all comes down to one issue: is the state doing this for the good of the clients or is it going to dump the clients onto the private sector and ignore the quality of the services provided.

[skepticalndnc]

33. This is Bush's state

Do you think the most vulnerable children of the state will be better served if in fact a sheet manufacturer is in charge of foster care and adoptions? I doubt it because these children don't vote. Sound as though in Minnesota there is government over site and that can make a huge difference. It can allow for a much more flexible system than one in which the state takes on a parental role of do everything, be everything to everybody. Somehow, I think this is a different ballgame. On the other hand, maybe this is a great way for a "fiend of Bush" to make some money with few complaints coming from the population served.

[jwirr]

44. Exactly what I was worried about with a bushie in control.

[bleedingheart]

30. How long before they start selling kids to the Saudis as slaves?

the idea of this being handled privately is just atrocious.

The biggest problem with the welfare system was that the workers were underpaid and overworked...but instead of fixing that they privatize it....what a freaking joke.

[SKKY]

32. Such a very, very bad idea.

It's hard to believe people aren't up in arms over this in Florida.

[DulceDecorum]

47. If I only want a kidney, not the whole kid.

Can't we make a deal here Jebbie?

Noelle is perfect, except for that Xanax thing.

[rzemanfl]

34. So far this has been pretty much an unmitigated disaster

Continuity Programs went belly up with unpaid bills all over the place. Hillsborough Kids, Inc. is shaky-its founder resigned under a cloud not too long ago. There are reasons that historically the private sector stayed out of this area. What happens is that the executives take the lion's share of everything and then bail out when things go to hell.

"More than 150 foster parents, doctors, attorneys and social service agencies say they are owed more than $1.5-million for work they did this spring on behalf of children in the foster care system in Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Among the unpaid bills: about $80,000 to Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services; about $30,000 to Help-A-Child; and $98,000 to the Suncoast Community Mental Health Center, all in Pinellas County; and more than $100,000 to the Harbor Behavioral Health Care Institute in Pasco County." (St. Petersburg Times, December 3, 2004)

"Chris Card, former director of Hillsborough County's foster care agency, has issued a four-page statement denying any wrongdoing, in response to a recent state report.

Card recently resigned as director of Hillsborough Kids Inc., which oversees foster care under contract with the state Department of Children and Families." (St. Petersburg Times, February 19, 2005)

Just more "good government" from the womb of Barbara Bush.

[cosmicdot]

39. did the "who is eligible to bid" aspect change since 1996?

"Who Is Eligible To Bid?

Community-based nonprofit agencies are the only eligible entities. Public agencies and for-profit businesses cannot bid on contracts."

http://www.afscme.org/pol-leg/cwfs06.htm


what else can corporate america screw up?

application of corporate business practices and mores to social human services should prove a bad idea


and, then, we'll have to rebuild it again

[Unforgiven]

45. Union Payback

Jeb vowed to get even with AFSCME and he is making good on his promise.

[DulceDecorum]

46. Slavery has returned to Florida.

Pedophiles may now rejoice.

(Its a Republican thing, you won't understand it.)

[rainbow4321]

52. TX privatised foster care: abuse and safety hazards found

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D89HA7QO0.html


Some of the private contractors that handle Texas' foster care have failed to act for nearly a year after learning that children were living with people with criminal records or in homes with fire or safety hazards, according to a newspaper report.

Records reveal cases where private contractors placed children with foster parents who later abused, molested or neglected them or disappeared with children in their care, The Dallas Morning News reported in its Sunday editions.

Private contractors now handle three-fourths of the state's foster care. The Texas Legislature is considering having private managers handle all of the state's 26,000 foster children. The private managers could be nonprofit groups or for-profit companies

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which includes Child Protective Services, regulates the contractors and supervises a quarter of the state's foster care homes. Under the current system, the department is the case manager for each foster child's overall welfare, whether the child is in a private or a state foster home. "We're not pretending we're doing an adequate job" at managing foster care, said department spokesman Darrell Azar. "We need more resources to do it better."

[RobinA]

54. Again,

it doesn't take private agencies to screw up foster care. Private agencies are subject to the same regulations as the government agency in charge. If a state has a screwed up private system, it probably had/has a screwed up public system behind it. It's not like when a private agency comes in everything automatically gets turned over to them and forgotten.