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June is National Hunger Awareness Month
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Governor Scott has signed the Florida Families First budget, providing funding that will allow DCF to continue our mission of helping those most in need and transforming our agency into a world-class service organization. Following are a few highlights of the $74.1 billion budget:
- $4.16 million more for substance abuse and mental health services
- $54.7 million more toward protecting our youngest Floridians
- $32 million more to implement efficiencies in the ACCESS program
- Nearly $5.1 million toward new fraud fighting initiatives
- Salary increases for all state employees – employees making less than $40,000 annually will receive a pay increase of $1,400 and employees making more than $40,000 will receive an increase of $1,000 (effective October 1st)
For more information on the budget, go to the Governor’s budget message here.
Secretary and Mrs. Wilkins recently traveled to Washington, DC, along with Sen. Nancy Detert, to share with members of Congress Florida’s successful efforts to bring normalcy to the lives of foster families and foster youth. They testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Human Resources Subcommittee, on the state’s efforts to allow foster parents and foster youth to make reasonable decisions about the youth’s participation in everyday events and activities. Titled, “Letting Kids Be Kids: Balancing Safety with Opportunity for Foster Youth,” the presentation was well received and appreciated by the committee members. View the entire testimony here or the shortened version on Youtube.
The close out period for the current performance evaluations is set for June 30. Employees are encouraged to talk with their supervisors about how the evaluation closeout will work. The due dates for evaluations have been extended to allow more time to complete the evaluation process, but all will need to be completed no later than Aug. 29, 2013. Go to the Human Resources Performance Evaluations Intranet web page for more information. Human Resources Performance Evaluations web page. Information about the new Performance Management system is also available on the Intranet home page.
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Campers at Fiddler's Cove in Tampa Bay
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As one of our newest Partners for Promise, The Mosaic Company, gave foster children from the Tampa Bay area a unique camp experience through their Coastal Education Center at Fiddler's Cove. Fourth graders experienced an outdoor classroom like no other to learn about the environment and also gain knowledge that helps them on FCAT testing. Through hands-on experiences, our foster kids developed an appreciation and understanding of why Tampa Bay is important to the ecosystem and how we can protect it. The kids spent the day along the shoreline identifying different classes of shells, checking out mangroves, digging for fiddler crabs and exploring the water with nets to catch different kinds of fish and other sea life. Afterward, each child was sent home with a picture of themselves exploring nature as a way to always remember their day at Fiddler's Cove. "Where the River Meets the Bay" is a curriculum approved by Hillsborough County Schools and taught by Mosaic employees trained in the program's specifics. Special thanks to Florida’s Foundation and the SunCoast Region for making the partnership with Mosaic such a success.
DCF Success Stories
At dual press conferences held in Tallahassee and Orlando, DCF Secretary David Wilkins and Deputy Secretary Suzanne Vitale rolled out the department’s groundbreaking public assistance fraud fighting initiatives. Florida is the first state in the nation to implement aggressive front-end fraud prevention technology to ensure benefits go to Floridians who are in need. Earlier this year, DCF was granted a waiver from the federal government to implement first-of-its-kind technology to ensure that individuals applying for public assistance benefits online are who they say they are. More than 90 percent of the five million annual benefits applications are received online through the DCF ACCESS system. The new technology is currently being piloted in the Orlando area. The pilot began in March and has demonstrated three times the fraud prevention value anticipated. The project will be implemented statewide by August 31. For more information, visit the website and be sure to watch a short YouTube video.
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The Piñeiro family (left) with Hiram Ruiz (Second from right) and Pete Digre at the Refugee Services Conference
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More than 350 refugee service providers, faith-based organizations, policy makers and refugees from across Florida and the nation gathered recently for the statewide Refugee Services Consultation in Orlando. Fifty speakers and presenters discussed national, state and local refugee issues that affect the Department's refugee clients. Several workshops and a film helped to highlight the event theme, “Welcoming. Belonging. Integrating Refugees in Florida." Presenters encouraged participants to undertake local projects aimed at fostering welcoming communities.
Featured were two Orlando refugee families that personify successful resettlement and integration, including that of 15-year-old Walfrank Piñeiro (see photo) who arrived in the United States less than two years ago speaking little English. He has not only made the Honor Roll each semester since starting school here, he recently earned his high school’s highest honor, the “Prepare for Greatness Award” for the student who reaches the highest standards of academic and personal success. Walfrank is also a gifted baseball player who is already drawing the attention of a number of colleges and was voted 2012 “Pitcher of the Year" by his high school baseball team.
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Awards presented at the Symposium (L-R Elisa Cramer, Award recipients: Darryl Watson, Jean Costa, Bobbie Badonski Ceglecki, Ola Lasisi , Kelly Kelley -Accepting Award for Mimi Odunewu, Theresa Russell, Katherine Ross, and Robert Anderson)
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Nearly 300 participants attended the Adult Protective Services conference, “Transforming Through Collaboration,” in Orlando May 22-24. Secretary David Wilkins and Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox kicked off the event that featured an intense schedule of workshops and forums focused on collaborative efforts to confront abuse and enhance service delivery for adults with disabilities and the elderly.
Representatives from partner agencies, advocacy groups, law enforcement, attorneys, national experts, and researchers mingled with Department staff and leadership, sharing strategies and initiatives to address the needs of Florida’s ever-growing vulnerable adult population.
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Employees participate in mock disaster exercise to test equipment and processes.
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On May 16-17, DCF successfully completed a two-day training and test of the Department’s Food for Florida program. More than 100 employees participated in a mock disaster exercise in Tallahassee to test equipment and processes that will be used in the aftermath of a disaster. DCF staff traveled from all over the state to participate in the training exercise. Find out more about the Food for Florida program on their Intranet website.
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Foster youth paints a horse at Freedom Ride in Orlando.
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On May 19, Freedom Ride, DCF, Community Based Care of Central Florida and the Orlando Police Department’s (OPD) Mounted Patrol had a fun day with 15 children at a therapeutic horse riding program in Orlando known as Freedom Ride. Many of the children have profound developmental and medical needs, but that did not stop them from enjoying a day learning how to care for horses, painting the horses, making horse treats and interacting with OPD’s Mounted Patrol. The children explored new relationships with their equine friends and built some confidence along the way.
Children invited for this special adventure reside in medical foster homes. The wonderful volunteers at Freedom Ride made it possible for these youth to enjoy an up-close-and-personal experience with the 1,000-pound gentle creatures. This was only the first in a series of special events for local children in foster care as Freedom Ride was recently awarded a $25,000 grant to work with children victimized by abuse.
Nine World Refugee Day events are taking place statewide June 14-27. Here is a full listof all the events, including a brief description of the type of event, as well as contact information for the Refugee Services Community Liaison in each region. All the events involve our contracted providers and refugees themselves, and some include citizenship ceremonies conducted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, which are inspiring occasions that everyone should witness at least once. Many former refugees are remarkably dedicated to helping newly arrived refugees in their communities. Here is a listing of just a few we would like to recognize for their outstanding service.
According to the Florida Department of Health, two thirds of drowning deaths occur during the summer months between May and August. DCF employees can help promote swim safety and prevention tips in their community. Together with the Department of Health, DCF is spreading the word on swim safety by distributing swim safety postcards. DCF employees can help distribute materials themselves, or encourage local organizations to order materials and make them available to customers and members. To request free postcards, go to: www.flpartnersforpromise.com/SwimPostcards.shtml.
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ACCESS/ESS Program employee recognition
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When the employee recognition plaques arrived in the Headquarters Economic Self-Sufficiency Program office, just for fun, Director Jeri Flora began counting the years of service. She was astounded at the number of long-timers. Cumulatively, there were 1,240 years! She was equally astounded to discover that most of them had additional years above the award increments of 5-10-20, etc. What a testimony to dedication and commitment! Thank you to our ACCESS/ESS Program staff for your years of service!
DCF Champions
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David Abramowitz (second from right) presents award to Masco Contractor Services in Daytona Beach.
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Northeast Region Managing Director David Abramowitz presented the Secretary’s Visionary Award to the leadership of Masco Contractor Services in Daytona Beach. The company strongly supports their employees in community service and giving. In the Northwest Region, Managing Director Vicki Abrams recently shadowed Caprice Blizzard, Independent Living Counselor, and then surprised her by presenting her with the Secretary’s Visionary Award at the Lakeview Board Meeting. Caprice really makes a difference in the lives of the youth and young adults she is involved with. See these and other Visionary Award winners, here.
Each year, the Gator Exchange Club honors an outstanding DCF employee as part of its mission to help prevent child abuse. This year, Cynthia Lawrence, a Child Protective Investigator in DCF's Starke office, is being honored for her outstanding commitment, passion and dedication to protecting children from abuse. Also, thanks to Lawrence’s advocacy, the Gator Exchange Club is awarding DCF $3,000 to assist the agency in its efforts to prevent child deaths. The money will be used to fund the purchase of portable cribs for DCF Child Protective Investigators who encounter families in North Central Florida that need them. Congratulations Cynthia!
Congratulations to Paul Sexton, Chris Meadows, Greg Garner and Tim Parson, who are taking on new roles within the Department. Paul Sexton has moved from the General Counsel’s office to head up the Contract Services office as Director. Chris Meadows will also be moving from the General Counsel’s office to work with Paul in Contract Services. Greg Garner moved from the Contract Services office to work directly with Assistant Secretary for Administration Scott Stewart. Tim Parson transitions from Deputy Director to the Legislative Affairs Director position.
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