First Response Children’s Funding (the Title IV-E Waiver) saves tax dollars by supporting preemptive programs that support children and families when they need it most—and keeping kids out of the traditional child welfare system. Therefore, for our children’s sake, Florida legislators must vote NO on general revenue cuts, which would jeopardize the First Response Children’s Funding provided by the Title IV-E Waiver.
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By marrying federal dollars with matching state funds and regional oversight, First Response Children’s Funding strengthens families and fosters stable environments to help keep kids where they belong—safe at home with their parents. Without the flexibility from the Title IV-E Waiver, Florida's children would have to actually suffer abuse or neglect before the funds could be used to help them and their families.
The waiver also results in substantial efficiency and cost savings. Instead of red tape and splitting up families, it actually funds proven programs that measure success in real outcomes for children, rather than abstract national requirements. Avoiding cumbersome federal processes also substantially reduces administrative costs, saving money for Florida taxpayers.
Plus, many more tax dollars than needed to fund Title IV-E Waiver would be spent on the increased cost of out-of-home care for kids taken from their families. Last year alone, community-based care lead agencies spent more than $23.5 million for diversion programs that provide short-term relief and support to families who were at high risk for abuse and neglect. If one-fourth of the children served by these programs had actually suffered abuse and come into the formal child welfare system, it would have cost the state at least 63 million dollars in board payments alone for licensed foster care. That is a savings of nearly 40 million taxpayer dollars, and the outcomes for these children were far better!
Examples of First Response Children’s Funding in action include: Connecting families in crisis with community resources before abuse and neglect occur; intensive home services to promote family stability; kinship care programs to help relative caregivers and much more.
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