Florida’s foster care system is at its lowest point in history. Children in the system are often at risk for mental, sexual, and physical abuse. Too often their social, emotional, educational and mental health needs are ignored.  Many who need mental health services can’t get these services while others are unnecessarily medicated with psychotropic medications.  Many stay in foster care longer than they should because the state can’t find them a suitable adoptive family. Children bounce around from foster home to foster home and do not get regular visits from their caseworkers. Therefore, many of these kids, approximately 400, are unaccounted for and missing. Statistics show that kids will end up in homeless shelters, mental health facilities, or even prison after their stay in Florida’s foster system.

    Although national studies continue to show that there are delinquency prevention programs that can work, Florida continues to cut early intervention programs to fund more expensive and less effective deep-end programs.  Other studies show that children do not think like adults, yet Florida continues to treat children charged with crimes as little adults. 

    The people have demanded that the State make education a priority, yet Florida’s education system continues to fail many of its children.  Immigrant unaccompanied minors continue to be denied services.