This bill seeks to improve child welfare by amending laws concerning child safety organizations and the training of child care personnel. It introduces new definitions for "accredited child safety organization" and "child-serving organization," while revising the definition of "institutional child abuse or neglect" to encompass cases where the alleged perpetrator is an employee or volunteer at a child-serving organization. The bill mandates annual training on child protection for employees of these organizations, which must be approved by the Department of Children and Families. Additionally, the Department is responsible for recognizing and approving qualified accrediting organizations that can certify child-serving organizations as accredited child safety organizations.

Moreover, the bill requires the Department to collect and analyze reports of abuse in child-serving organizations and establishes a process for the Office of Insurance Regulation to approve insurance rating plans that provide premium discounts to accredited child safety organizations. It also mandates a study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to evaluate the affordability and availability of liability coverage for these organizations, with a report due to the Legislature by July 1, 2027. The bill includes provisions for parental participation in treatment as determined by the court, mandates mental health or substance abuse assessments for custody seekers, and updates various sections of Florida Statutes to align definitions and requirements related to child welfare and mental health services, emphasizing the importance of permanency for children in protective supervision. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
S 1600 Filed: 39.101, 39.302, 39.521, 39.6012, 394.495, 934.255, 960.065