The following documents are attachments to the 2008 Dept of ...

• Discussion:• The suggestion was made that we need to make sure we have a standardbase/standards of practice and some flexibility.• The statement was made that some communities have a tax required in statute forthe purpose of providing after school activities to children in the community.• The recommendation was made that there needs to be a basic standard and levelof expectation for all children and youth in foster care across the state and afterschool activities should be included.2. Ms. Perez, Parent: Ms. Perez is from Miami Dade and spoke to the Task Force as aparent and grandparent of children in the system. Ms. Perez made the followingstatements and recommendations:• Heard a lot of positive statements today about how the Department is improving thestructure. The Department needs to improve starting at the bottom, with the staff thatworks directly with people.• Parents are failing because there is not enough money to access services to addressissues such as domestic violence. In addition, there is not enough staff to oversee andassist with what is happening. Her grandchildren were moved around multiple times.• Main Concern: The Department and community based care agencies need to startlistening to parents, families and children. No one listens to them. The old Departmentworked with us.• Children are medicated to make them compliant and address their behavior and pills arenot the answer. Her own child was suicidal while on mediations. Doctors prescribemedication cocktails.• There are too many children in foster care and not enough services. The issue is not justbad parents.• Ms. Perez provided the Task Force with a DVD related to the negative side effects ofmedications for children and how to reduce the use.• There needs to be more focus on the family and resources.Closing Remarks1. The next Task Force meeting has been tentatively scheduled for September 20 inBroward County.2. Next Steps for the Task Force Work Groups:• Staff assigned to provide support will contact the lead within the next week.• Task Force members assigned to the workgroups need to determine whom else fromaround the state they need to include. Can include anyone they feel would benefit.• The suggestions were made to add a sixth workgroup to address child location andrecovery, specifically the possible use of DNA to identify children only if needed.Major Connie Schingledecker, Manatee County Sheriffs Office and Donna Uzzell,Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be assigned to this workgroup. Ms.Uzzell is assigned as the lead.AdjournmentJudge Gooding, Vice Chair of the Task Force thanked everyone for presenting and attendingand adjourned the meeting.8