The Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Florida has reported a series of achievements for the year 2024, underlining its efforts to support families across the state. Secretary Shevaun Harris acknowledged the contributions of Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis, stating that their leadership has been instrumental in advancing initiatives aimed at fostering resilience and economic self-sufficiency among Floridians.
"2024 was another monumental year for our Department and the families we serve," said Secretary Harris. "The Department prioritized key initiatives that delivered vital services which helped individuals and families foster resiliency and achieve economic self-sufficiency."
Hope Florida, an initiative led by First Lady DeSantis, connected over 30,000 individuals with resources from a network of more than 5,600 partners. The program focuses on helping participants overcome financial barriers through employment opportunities and vocational training. Additionally, nearly 30,000 participants reduced or eliminated their reliance on government assistance, saving over $78 million annually.
In response to natural disasters like Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton in 2024, Activate Hope provided emergency support to over 57,000 individuals with essential supplies and referred more than 33,000 people to additional resources.
The DCF also reported a decrease in children entering foster care by 32% since Governor DeSantis took office. In FY 2023-24 alone, nearly 4,000 children were adopted through streamlined processes. Furthermore, the Continue the Mission initiative hired over 300 veterans as child protective investigators.
Programs like Family Navigation served high-risk families with intensive support services while maintaining family integrity for most participants. Meanwhile, H.E.A.R.T., a teen relationship initiative launched by the department, engaged over 89,000 youths in promoting healthy relationships.
Father First campaign resulted in significant engagement with fathers across Florida. More than $30 million was awarded to local organizations supporting fathers and at-risk male students.
Adult Protective Services conducted nearly 40,000 abuse investigations with high success rates in preventing re-abuse within six months post-investigation. Efforts towards reducing homelessness achieved a notable decline of 36% statewide.
Behavioral health resources saw expansion through Mobile Response Teams (MRTs), serving thousands while diverting many from crisis settings such as hospitals or jails. The Coordinated Opioid Recovery Network expanded its reach to cover more counties providing treatment for substance use disorders effectively.
Florida's mental health facilities reported low readmission rates compared to national averages due to comprehensive community-based programs like FACT teams which diverted many from higher levels of care needs.