DCF to slash 400 jobs in state

[Doglips]

DCF to slash 400 jobs in state

Watchdog agency for Florida's children starts massive overhaul

By Melissa Harris | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 19, 2004


Florida's child-protection agency begins a major restructuring this week that will eliminate 400 positions statewide and require 10 percent of its local work force to reapply for their jobs.

When reorganization of the Department of Children & Families is complete, officials say the agency will be working more closely than ever with private groups to oversee the protection of young people in Florida.

Last week, 80 middle managers in District 7 -- Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties -- were asked to submit "interest forms" for new jobs in one of the state's six zones, part of a new system aimed at improving efficiency by July.

They'll be competing for 108 jobs along with scores of employees from Districts 13 and 14, which include Citrus, Marion, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Hardee, Highland and Polk counties.

All three districts will fall under the umbrella of Florida's Central Zone, to be led by Don Thomas, District 13 administrator.

Thomas says that 127 positions are being eliminated in the zone, including some that are already vacant.

Zone employees will assume responsibility for administrative tasks that include human resources, budget management and information technologies, thus eliminating several jobs on the district level.

By moving to the new system, the agency hopes to eliminate redundancies and standardize DCF management across regions. Officials say frontline services will not be diminished.

"This is a push to move away from bureaucracies and toward more services," said Ben Harris, DCF's director of operations.

At the same time, an additional 90 employees in District 7 were asked to reapply for their jobs as a nonprofit organization prepares to take over foster care, adoptions and in-home services for about 4,000 children in Orange and Osceola counties.

The salaries for those 90 employees will be transferred to the nonprofit Family Services of Metro Orlando, which will have control over how it spends some of the money. It's unclear how many of the positions will survive, much less who will fill them.

"The position doesn't get transferred -- only the dollars that support that position," said Phil Penley, District 7's acting director. "We can't tell the outside agency who to hire."

These cuts strike at the heart of DCF's operations: the Family Safety Program Office, which oversees contracts with agencies that run group homes, find adoptive parents and counsel members of abusive families. This phase of the transition is expected to be complete by January.

Child advocates said it remains to be seen whether the private agencies can absorb the same number of employees or produce better results for children.

"You're going to find that there are some positions that the lead agency is going to take over, but some things will fall through the cracks," said Jason Zaborske, associate director of The Children's Campaign, a watchdog group that monitors DCF.

Melissa Harris can be reached at 407-420-6269 or mharris@orlandosentinel.com.
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[Rufus Rhastus J]

I would be hard pressed to think of even one Gov. office that could not function on less money. I also, think it's great to get rid of the managers. Just about everywhere I see lots of white shirts and not enough blue shirts. For all those cry babies, I say good riddence and...you did it to yourself by being so worthless.:nod:

[Doglips]

Still dont expect mass layoffs from state jobs...scary.

[Despoiler]

Is this not the agency that lost that little girl?

[Doglips]

YEP.....DCF is always under the gun for major F Ups....Guess now would not be a good time to apply for my old job back

[Oxford]

Doglips...you're experienced and trained in that area. What's your take on this situation? Is it all smoke and mirrors...or will the children benefit in some way from all the reorganization?

[Doglips]

Hopefully the kids will benafit...a lot of the privet companies have case limits built into their contract...so insteed of an over loaded DCF worker the case worker has less cases so can have more contact with their families/children on their cases....but the companies pay the workers less.....so still a turn over problem.. In my area Childrens home society took over the protective supervision a few years ago (protective supervision is when kids are removed and then returned to the family..or family is oin the verge of removal of their kids....kinda like probation in a way)...My sister in law works for them...has less cases than when she was with the state...but also makes 7k less a year (20k vs 27 for the state).....DCF in every state is a big monster.....IF you pull kids (place them in foster or relative care) your the KGB...if you dont and something happens your incompatint.....and social work unlike accounting is based on things that you can messure....like a clean house....what is "clean" (lawyers will argue that one to death)..... Im a slob...so what I call clean your wife might call a pig sty.... so I dont see a real solution to the problem...at least not a goverment solution...I think our societies decaying morality, drugs, etc are the root of the problem...and the goverment cant fix that.

[Oxford]

DL...thanks! You could be right. We're getting paid back for the general downward slide in our society's morals. And as you said, no amount of government controls will change that. If we don't have a grassroots interest or motivation to make a change, the government's efforts are doomed to fail again.

[jerry]

This is what happens when too many rats are thrown into the cage.

[Oxford]

Jerry...Now that's a vivid description! However, I can't say that I've ever seen a rat cage, let alone one with a bunch of rats inside.

Would that be like a bunch of politicians and lawyers locked in one room? :jaw: