Florida Statutes Part I - Social And Economic Assistance (Ss. 409.016-409.5093)

• 409.016 - Definitions.
  As used in this chapter:(1) “Department,” unless otherwise specified, means the Department of Children and Families.(2) “Secretary” means the secretary of the Department of Children and Families.(3) “Social...
• 409.017 - Revenue Maximization Act; Legislative Intent; Revenue Maximization Program.
  (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Revenue Maximization Act.”(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—(a) The Legislature recognizes that state funds do not fully utilize federal funding matching opportunities...
• 409.031 - State Agency For Administering Social Service Funds.
  The department is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration of social service funds under Title XX of the Social Security Act.History.—s. 1,...
• 409.141 - Equitable Reimbursement Methodology.
  (1) To assure high standards of care and essential residential services as a component of the services continuum for at-risk youth and families, the Department of...
• 409.145 - Care Of Children; Quality Parenting; “reasonable And Prudent Parent” Standard.
  The child welfare system of the department shall operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which empowers all caregivers for children in foster care...
• 409.1451 - The Road-to-independence Program.
  (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature recognizes that most children and young adults are resilient and, with adequate support, can expect to be successful as independent...
• 409.1452 - Collaboration With Board Of Governors, Florida College System, And Department Of Education To Assist Children And Young Adults Who Have Been Or Are In Foster Care.
  Effective July 1, 2013, the Department of Children and Families shall work in collaboration with the Board of Governors, the Florida College System, and the...
• 409.1453 - Design And Dissemination Of Training For Foster Care Caregivers.
  The Department of Children and Families in collaboration with the Florida Foster and Adoptive Parent Association and the Quality Parenting Initiative will design and disseminate...
• 409.1454 - Motor Vehicle Insurance For Children In Care.
  (1) The Legislature finds that the costs of driver education, licensure and costs incidental to licensure, and motor vehicle insurance for a child in licensed out-of-home...
• 409.146 - Children And Families Client And Management Information System.
  (1) The Department of Children and Families shall establish a children and families client and management information system which shall provide information concerning children served by...
• 409.147 - Children’s Initiatives.
  (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—(a) The Legislature finds that:1. There are neighborhoods in the state where the infrastructure and opportunities that middle-class communities take for granted are nonexistent...
• 409.153 - Implementation Of Healthy Families Florida Program.
  The Department of Children and Families shall contract with a private nonprofit corporation to implement the Healthy Families Florida program. The private nonprofit corporation shall...
• 409.165 - Alternate Care For Children.
  (1) Within funds appropriated, the department shall establish and supervise a program of emergency shelters, runaway shelters, foster homes, group homes, agency-operated group treatment homes, nonpsychiatric...
• 409.166 - Children Within The Child Welfare System; Adoption Assistance Program.
  (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature to protect and promote each child’s right to the security and stability of a permanent family home....
• 409.1662 - Children Within The Child Welfare System; Adoption Incentive Program.
  (1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the adoption incentive program is to advance the state’s achievement of permanency, stability, and well-being in living arrangements for children in foster...
• 409.1664 - Adoption Benefits For Qualifying Adoptive Employees Of State Agencies.
  (1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Child within the child welfare system” has the same meaning as provided in s. 409.166.(b) “Qualifying adoptive employee” means a...
• 409.1666 - Annual Adoption Achievement Awards.
  Each year, the Governor shall select and recognize one or more individuals, families, or organizations that make significant contributions to enabling this state’s foster children...
• 409.167 - Statewide Adoption Exchange; Establishment; Responsibilities; Registration Requirements; Rules.
  (1) The Department of Children and Families shall establish, either directly or through purchase, a statewide adoption exchange, with a photo listing component, which shall serve...
• 409.1676 - Comprehensive Residential Group Care Services To Children Who Have Extraordinary Needs.
  (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide comprehensive residential group care services, including residential care, case management, and other services, to children in...
• 409.1677 - Model Comprehensive Residential Services Programs.
  (1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Residential group care” means a living environment for children who have been adjudicated dependent and are expected to be...
• 409.1678 - Specialized Residential Options For Children Who Are Victims Of Sexual Exploitation.
  (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “Safe foster home” means a foster home certified by the department under this section to care for sexually exploited...
• 409.1679 - Additional Requirements; Reimbursement Methodology.
  (1) Each program established under ss. 409.1676 and 409.1677 must meet the following expectations, which must be included in its contracts with the department or lead...
• 409.16791 - Ongoing Study Of Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children.
  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct an annual study on commercial sexual exploitation of children in the state. The study...
• 409.175 - Licensure Of Family Foster Homes, Residential Child-caring Agencies, And Child-placing Agencies; Public Records Exemption.
  (1)(a) The purpose of this section is to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all children in the state who are cared for by family...
• 409.1753 - Foster Care; Duties.
  The department shall ensure that, within each district, each foster home is given a telephone number for the foster parent to call during normal working...
• 409.1754 - Sexually Exploited Children; Screening And Assessment; Training; Case Management; Task Forces.
  (1) SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT.—(a) The department shall develop or adopt one or more initial screening and assessment instruments to identify, determine the needs of, plan services for,...
• 409.1755 - One Church, One Child Of Florida Corporation Act; Creation; Duties.
  (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “One Church, One Child of Florida Corporation Act.”(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature finds and declares that there is an...
• 409.1757 - Persons Not Required To Be Refingerprinted Or Rescreened.
  Any law to the contrary notwithstanding, human resource personnel who have been fingerprinted or screened pursuant to chapters 393, 394, 397, 402, and this chapter,...
• 409.176 - Registration Of Residential Child-caring Agencies And Family Foster Homes.
  (1)(a) A residential child-caring agency or family foster home may not receive a child for continuing full-time care or custody, and a residential child-caring agency may...
• 409.179 - Family-friendly Workplace Initiative.
  Recognizing that employers play a key role in helping families balance work and family responsibilities, the Executive Office of the Governor, in consultation with members...
• 409.212 - Optional Supplementation.
  (1) There may be monthly optional supplementation payments, made in such amount as determined by the department, to any person who:(a) Meets all the program eligibility criteria...
• 409.221 - Consumer-directed Care Program.
  (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Florida Consumer-Directed Care Act.”(2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that alternatives to institutional care, such as in-home and community-based...
• 409.2355 - Programs For Prosecution Of Males Over Age 21 Who Commit Certain Offenses Involving Girls Under Age 16.
  Subject to specific appropriated funds, the Department of Children and Families is directed to establish a program by which local communities, through the state attorney’s...
• 409.2551 - Legislative Intent.
  Common-law and statutory procedures governing the remedies for enforcement of support for financially dependent children by persons responsible for their support have not proven sufficiently...
• 409.2554 - Definitions; Ss. 409.2551-409.2598.
  As used in ss. 409.2551-409.2598, the term:(1) “Department” means the Department of Revenue.(2) “Dependent child” means any unemancipated person under the age of 18, any person under...
• 409.2557 - State Agency For Administering Child Support Enforcement Program.
  (1) The department is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration of the child support enforcement program, Title IV-D of the Social Security Act,...
• 409.25575 - Support Enforcement; Privatization.
  (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the Department of Revenue to contract with private entities for the provision of support enforcement services...
• 409.2558 - Support Distribution And Disbursement.
  (1) DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS.—The department shall distribute and disburse support payments collected in Title IV-D cases in accordance with 42 U.S.C. s. 657 and regulations adopted...
• 409.2559 - State Disbursement Unit.
  The department shall establish and operate a state disbursement unit by October 1, 1999, as required by 42 U.S.C. s. 654(27).History.—s. 22, ch. 98-397.
• 409.256 - Administrative Proceeding To Establish Paternity Or Paternity And Child Support; Order To Appear For Genetic Testing.
  (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “Another state” or “other state” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the...
• 409.2561 - Support Obligations When Public Assistance Is Paid; Assignment Of Rights; Subrogation; Medical And Health Insurance Information.
  (1) Any payment of temporary cash or Title IV-E assistance made to, or for the benefit of, any dependent child creates an obligation in an amount...
• 409.2563 - Administrative Establishment Of Child Support Obligations.
  (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “Administrative support order” means a final order rendered by or on behalf of the department pursuant to this section...
• 409.25635 - Determination And Collection Of Noncovered Medical Expenses.
  (1) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, “noncovered medical expenses” means uninsured medical, dental, or prescription medication expenses that are ordered to be paid on behalf of...
• 409.2564 - Actions For Support.
  (1) In each case in which regular support payments are not being made as provided herein, the department shall institute, within 30 days after determination of...
• 409.25641 - Procedures For Processing Interstate Enforcement Requests.
  The department shall use automated administrative enforcement as provided in 42 U.S.C. s. 666(a)(14)(A) to respond to a request from another state to enforce a...
• 409.2565 - Publication Of Delinquent Obligors.
  For support orders that are being enforced by the department, the department may compile and make available for publication a listing of cases in which...
• 409.25656 - Garnishment.
  (1) If a person has a support obligation which is subject to enforcement by the department as the state Title IV-D program, the executive director or...
• 409.25657 - Requirements For Financial Institutions.
  (1) Definitions.—For purposes of this section, reference is made to 42 U.S.C. s. 669A:(a) “Financial institution” means:1. A depository institution, as defined in s. 3(c) of the Federal...
• 409.25658 - Use Of Unclaimed Property For Past Due Support.
  (1) In a joint effort to facilitate the collection and payment of past due support, the Department of Revenue, in cooperation with the Department of Financial...
• 409.25659 - Insurance Claim Data Exchange.
  (1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Insurer” means an entity that is responsible for paying a claim on liability coverage in an insurance contract and...
• 409.25661 - Public Records Exemption For Insurance Claim Data Exchange Information.
  Information obtained by the Department of Revenue pursuant to s. 409.25659 is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the...
• 409.2567 - Services To Individuals Not Otherwise Eligible.
  (1) All support services provided by the department shall be made available on behalf of all dependent children. Services shall be provided upon acceptance of public...
• 409.2569 - Continuation Of Support Services For Recipients Of Public Assistance When Benefits Are Terminated.
  Whenever a recipient of public assistance ceases to receive such public assistance, the department shall continue to provide services after the recipient ceases to receive...
• 409.257 - Service Of Process.
  (1) The service of original process and orders in any paternity or child support action or proceeding filed by the department shall be made in accordance...
• 409.2571 - Court And Witness Fees; Bond.
  (1) The department or an authorized agent thereof shall be entitled to the necessary services of the clerk, court reporter, and county comptroller in any proceedings...
• 409.2572 - Cooperation.
  (1) An applicant for, or recipient of, public assistance for a dependent child shall cooperate in good faith with the department or a program attorney in:(a) Identifying...
• 409.2574 - Income Deduction Enforcement In Title Iv-d Cases.
  (1) The department or its designee shall enforce income deduction orders on behalf of obligees who have applied for IV-D services, and the department shall be...
• 409.2575 - Liens On Motor Vehicles And Vessels.
  (1) The director of the state IV-D program, or the director’s designee, may cause a lien for unpaid and delinquent support to be placed upon motor...
• 409.2576 - State Directory Of New Hires.
  (1) DIRECTORY CREATED.—The State Directory of New Hires is hereby created and shall be administered by the Department of Revenue or its agent. All employers in...
• 409.2577 - Parent Locator Service.
  The department shall establish a parent locator service to assist in locating parents who have deserted their children and other persons liable for support of...
• 409.2578 - Access To Employment Information; Administrative Fine.
  (1) For the purpose of establishing paternity, establishing a child support obligation, or enforcing a support obligation, all persons in this state, including for-profit, not-for-profit, and...
• 409.2579 - Safeguarding Title Iv-d Case File Information.
  (1) Information concerning applicants for or recipients of Title IV-D child support services is confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). The use or...
• 409.2581 - Use Of Clearing Accounts And Revolving Funds.
  To facilitate the cash flow and administration of child support enforcement under this act, the department may use clearing accounts and revolving funds.History.—s. 10, ch.
• 409.2584 - Interest On Obligations Due; Waiver.
  The department may collect interest at the rate established in s. 55.03 on all support obligations due and owing to the department; however, the department...
• 409.259 - Filing Fees In Title Iv-d Cases; Electronic Filing Of Pleadings, Returns Of Service, And Other Papers.
  (1) Notwithstanding s. 28.241, each clerk of the circuit court shall accept petitions, complaints, and motions filed by the department in Title IV-D cases without billing...
• 409.2594 - Record Requirements.
  The department shall keep the records necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. At a minimum, the records shall include:(1) The number of parents located.(2) The...
• 409.2597 - Retention Of Actions.
  All actions pending under the authority of those statutes repealed by this act shall not abate but shall continue pursuant to the provisions of this...
• 409.2598 - License Suspension Proceeding To Enforce Support Order.
  (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:(a) “License” means a license, permit, certificate, registration, franchise, or other form of written permission issued by a licensing agency...
• 409.2599 - Data Processing Services; Interagency Agreement.
  The Department of Children and Families shall provide to the child support enforcement program in the Department of Revenue data processing services that meet the...
• 409.25995 - State Title Iv-d Agency; Contracts.
  The Department of Revenue, in its capacity as the state Title IV-D agency, may enter into contracts consistent with federal law for the provision of...
• 409.2673 - Shared County And State Health Care Program For Low-income Persons.
  (1) It is the policy of the state that the state and local governments have a joint obligation, as provided in this section, to participate in...
• 409.26731 - Certification Of Local Funds As State Match For Federally Funded Services.
  The department is authorized to certify local funds as state match for eligible Title IV-E expenditures in excess of the amount of state general revenue...
• 409.285 - Opportunity For Hearing And Appeal.
  (1) If an application for public assistance is not acted upon within a reasonable time after the filing of the application, or is denied in whole...
• 409.352 - Licensing Requirements For Physicians, Osteopathic Physicians, And Chiropractic Physicians Employed By The Department.
  (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that physicians providing services in state institutions meet the professional standards of their respective licensing boards and that...
• 409.401 - Interstate Compact On The Placement Of Children.
  The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in form...
• 409.402 - Financial Responsibility For Child.
  Financial responsibility for any child placed pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children shall be determined in accordance with...
• 409.403 - Definitions; Interstate Compact On The Placement Of Children.
  (1) The “appropriate public authorities” as used in Article III of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children shall, with reference to this state, mean...
• 409.404 - Agreements Between Party State Officers And Agencies.
  (1) The officers and agencies of this state and its subdivisions having authority to place children are hereby empowered to enter into agreements with appropriate officers...
• 409.405 - Court Placement Of Delinquent Children.
  Any court having jurisdiction to place delinquent children may place such a child in an institution in another state pursuant to Article VI of the...
• 409.406 - Interstate Compact On Adoption And Medical Assistance.
  The Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance is enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in form substantially...
• 409.407 - Interstate Agreements Between The Department Of Children And Families And Agencies Of Other States.
  The Department of Children and Families, which is authorized to enter into interstate agreements with agencies of other states for the implementation of the purposes...
• 409.408 - Interstate Compact For The Placement Of Children.
  Effective July 1, 2009, or upon the enactment of the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children into law by the 35th compacting state, whichever...
• 409.409 - Effect Of Existing Compact Provisions.
  The provisions of the existing Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, as created under s. 409.401, shall remain in effect until repealed by entry...
• 409.4101 - Rulemaking Authority.
  Following entry into the new Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children by this state pursuant to ss. 409.408 and 409.409, any rules adopted by...
• 409.441 - Runaway Youth Programs And Centers.
  (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The purpose of this act is to assist runaway youths and their families through a program of prevention, early intervention, community outreach, short-term residential...
• 409.508 - Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program.
  (1) As used in this section:(a) “Eligible household” means a household eligible for funds from the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, 42 U.S.C. ss. 8621...
• 409.509 - Definitions; Weatherization Of Low-income Residences.
  As used in this act, the term:(1) “Community action agency” means a private corporation or public agency established pursuant to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964,...
• 409.5091 - Department Responsible For Weatherizing Agencies; Energy Assessment.
  (1) The department is responsible for ensuring that weatherizing agencies comply with state laws and department rules.(2) Before a residence is weatherized, the department shall require that...
• 409.5093 - Replacement Agency.
  If any area of the state has no designated weatherization agency as a result of withdrawal or loss of designation by departmental action, a replacement...

Last modified: September 23, 2016