Gov. DeSantis signs bill promoting fatherhood programs

Flanked by former NFL players, coaches and current lawmakers, as well as his daughter Madison, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 7065 on Monday, which promotes programs aimed at boosting fatherhood and male role models in the lives of at-risk children.

“If you look over the last many decades, one of the worst social trends has been the decline of fatherhood. We do have, in many instances, a fatherhood crisis in this country,” DeSantis said shortly before signing the bill at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility.

“When you take kids that do not have a father present in their upbringing, the chance of them dropping out of school, getting involved in trouble with the law, having other difficulties, increases dramatically.”

The new law, which takes effect July 1, was passed unanimously in both chambers. It sets aside $60.2 million for programs to encourage fathers to be present in the home or provide male role models and mentors for at-risk youth, especially boys. Of that, $27.6 million will be issued by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to nonprofits to expand mentorship programs, projects that “address the comprehensive needs of fathers,” and parenting education for new fathers.

For an organization to be eligible for the grants, which will range from $25,000 to $250,000, it must serve boys ages 13-18 living in “underserved communities,” recruit and train mentors and certify the number of individuals they’ll serve. Groups can only receive one grant every three years, must submit reports on the grants to DCF, and submit to training in nonprofit management by DCF within six months of receiving the grant.

“This is the kind of thing that is going to change the lives of children throughout the state of Florida for generations to come,” said House Speaker Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican who spearheaded the measure in the Legislature.

DCF will also be required to increase services to fathers and contract with the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative to provide resources and education promoting “positive involvement” with their children.

“This is going to be tremendous and be such a big help to fathers in Florida, agencies that support fathers in Florida,” said Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Buccaneers and founder of the Dungy Family Foundation.

Under the new law, DCF and the Department of Juvenile Justice are required to identify children in their systems and issue reports to the Legislature with recommendations on how to serve them. Other agencies are also tasked with helping boost fatherhood initiatives, as the Department of Revenue and Department of Economic Opportunity must identify parents having trouble paying child support and expand programs designed to assist them.

Other pieces of the bill are aimed at children who age out of foster care. That includes an $8.5 million increase in the monthly stipend for the Postsecondary Education Services and Support program, which pays for housing, education, workforce training, and utilities while attending a state college or university.