• Ask Representatives to "Maintain the House position on Healthy Families Florida!"

   

• Senate President Don Gaetz
• Senator Denise Grimsley
• Senator Aaron Bean
• Senator Anitere Flores
• Senator Rene Garcia
• Senator Audrey Gibson
• Senator Eleanor Sobel
   
• House Speaker Will Weatherford
• Representative Seth McKeel
• Representative Steve Crisafulli
• Representative Matt Hudson
• Representative Marti Coley
• Representative MaryLynn Magar
• Representative Janet Cruz
• Representative Joe Gibbons
• Representative Jason Brodeur
• Representative Mike Hill

Earlier this year, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) released a Child Fatality Trend Analysis Report.  The comprehensive study identifies major factors contributing to child deaths from abuse and neglect in Florida and concludes that "prior in-home services reduce a child's odds of death by 90%".

A rigorous third party evaluation has found that 98 percent of children in families served by Healthy Families Florida (HFF) were free from abuse and neglect one year after program completion, and last year DCF found that 95 percent of children completing the program were still free from abuse and neglect three years later.  Read more about this voluntary home visiting program.

Legislative Conferees are in the process of determining whether to accept the House proposal to increase funding for HFF by $4.5 million, or to maintain current year funding as proposed by the Senate.

A priority of the 2014 Legislature is to address the failures of Florida's child protection system.  The United Way of Florida urges the legislature to accept the House position to increase funding for HFF, so potential abuse and neglect is avoided before children ever have to be touched by that system.