Peter Schorsch
The fate of legislation that would provide additional protections for at-risk children in the state’s child welfare system is now in the hands of the Florida Senate.
HB 315, also known as “Jordan’s Law,” cleared the House Thursday with a unanimous vote.
The legislation is named for Jordan Belliveau, a 2-year-old boy who was killed by his mother, Charisse Stinson, in September 2018.
The boy’s death came just one day after a caseworker visited Stinson, who had recently been reunified with her son, but saw no immediate danger that would require an abuse report or removal of the child.
The bill, sponsored by Clearwater Rep. Chris Latvala, aims to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future by making sure young children get proper attention from caseworkers.
Currently, social workers can have mile-long caseloads, and while Jordan’s Law won’t fix that completely, it would ensure no caseworker is responsible for checking in on more than 15 children under 6 years old.
Young children are especially vulnerable because, unlike school-age children, they may not have other adults in their lives that can raise a red flag when something’s not right.
The bill would also improve communication between caseworkers and law enforcement. This streamlining of abuse reporting would better ensure the protection of at-risk children in the state’s care and help identify potentially dangerous parents and guardians.
The bill is common sense. As put by Chris Card, chief of community-based care at Eckerd Connects, Jordan’s Law “will create improved communication and coordination critical to the safety of our children as well as adding specialty units that will focus on our most vulnerable children.”
Still, the bill faces an uncertain future.
Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson, who also represents Pinellas County, carried the Senate companion (SB 634). It scored a couple committee wins earlier this month, but with the clock dwindling on the 2019 Legislative Session, it’s unlikely to get the final committee approval it needs to make it to the chamber floor.
There’s also no indication the Senate is planning to take up the House bill — when it was forwarded over after Thursday’s vote, it was referred to three committees.
The committee references for either could be removed, and they should. There’s no cloud of mystery around what the bill does, and staff analysis after staff analysis in the House found it wouldn’t even cost much.
Protecting defenseless children isn’t something that should be bogged down by process. It’s the right thing to do. And Jordan’s Law is the right way to do it.
