Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 996
By
Senator Rodriguez
40-00983-26 2026996__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to dependent children; amending s.
3 39.4085, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
4 and Families and each community-based care lead agency
5 to coordinate with certain organizations and meet at
6 least quarterly for a specified purpose; authorizing
7 such meetings to be in person or via teleconference or
8 other electronic means; requiring such meetings to
9 have a formal agenda; requiring the department and
10 each community-based care lead agency to make certain
11 information available on their respective websites;
12 requiring, beginning in a specified year, the
13 department and each community-based care lead agency
14 to publish on their respective websites a biannual
15 report containing specified information; amending s.
16 409.145, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
17 requiring a caregiver to provide a weekly cash
18 allowance to each child in his or her care beginning
19 when the child attains a certain age; prohibiting a
20 caregiver from withholding a child’s allowance as
21 punishment; providing that a child may not be required
22 to use his or her allowance for certain items;
23 providing the amount of such weekly allowance;
24 encouraging caregivers to offer certain opportunities
25 and help to children in their care; authorizing the
26 department to adopt rules; providing an effective
27 date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 39.4085,
32 Florida Statutes, to read:
33 39.4085 Goals for dependent children; responsibilities;
34 education; Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.—
35
(6)(a)
The department shall coordinate with organizations
36
that are focused on empowering children with lived experience
37
for the purpose of
address
ing
challenges and opportunities for
38
children in the child welfare system
. The department and such
39
organizations must meet
at least
quarterly
in person or via
40
teleconference or other electronic means to solicit input on
41
ways to address such challenges and opportunities. Each meeting
42
must have a formal agenda, and such agenda and the minutes from
43
each meeting must be made available on the department’s website.
44
(b)
Each community-based care lead agency shall coordinate
45
with organizations that are focused on empowering children with
46
lived experience
for the purpose of
address
ing
challenges and
47
opportunities for children in the child welfare system
. The
48
community-based care lead agency and such organizations must
49
meet at least quarterly in person or via teleconference or other
50
electronic means to solicit input on ways to address such
51
challenges and opportunities. Each meeting must have a formal
52
agenda, and such agenda and the minutes from each meeting must
53
be made available on the community-based care lead agency’s
54
website.
55
(c)
By February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning in
56
2027, the department and each community-based care lead agency
57
must make publicly accessible on their respective websites a
58
report that outlines how the department and the community-based
59
care lead agencies have implemented the suggestions received
60
from organizations in the meetings required under paragraphs (a)
61
and (b).
62 Section 2. Present subsection (5) of section 409.145,
63 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (6), a new
64 subsection (5) is added to that section, and paragraph (b) of
65 subsection (2) is amended, to read:
66 409.145 Care of children; “reasonable and prudent parent”
67 standard.—The child welfare system of the department shall
68 operate as a coordinated community-based system of care which
69 empowers all caregivers for children in foster care to provide
70 quality parenting, including approving or disapproving a child’s
71 participation in activities based on the caregiver’s assessment
72 using the “reasonable and prudent parent” standard.
73 (2) REASONABLE AND PRUDENT PARENT STANDARD.—
74 (b)
Application of standard of care.
—
75 1. Every child who comes into out-of-home care pursuant to
76 this chapter is entitled to participate in age-appropriate
77 extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities
and to
78
receive a weekly cash allowance for personal use in accordance
79
with subsection (5)
.
80 2. Each caregiver shall use the reasonable and prudent
81 parent standard in determining whether to give permission for a
82 child living in out-of-home care to participate in
83 extracurricular, enrichment, or social activities. When using
84 the reasonable and prudent parent standard, the caregiver must
85 consider:
86 a. The child’s age, maturity, and developmental level to
87 maintain the overall health and safety of the child.
88 b. The potential risk factors and the appropriateness of
89 the extracurricular, enrichment, or social activity.
90 c. The best interest of the child, based on information
91 known by the caregiver.
92 d. The importance of encouraging the child’s emotional and
93 developmental growth.
94 e. The importance of providing the child with the most
95 family-like living experience possible.
96 f. The behavioral history of the child and the child’s
97 ability to safely participate in the proposed activity.
98
(5)
CASH ALLOWANCE.—
99
(a)
The Legislature finds that receiving a cash allowance
100
is a critical aspect of normalcy for a child. A cash allowance
101
teaches a child the value and use of money and promotes
102
independence, responsibility, and decisionmaking.
103
(b)
A caregiver must provide each child in his or her care,
104
beginning when the child attains 6 years of age, a weekly cash
105
allowance that is not tied to the child’s behavior or the
106
completion of the child’s chores. A caregiver may not withhold
107
the child’s allowance as a form of punishment. A child may not
108
be required to use his or her allowance to purchase personal
109
hygiene items, school supplies, clothing, or other necessities
110
that are the responsibility of the child’s caregiver. The
111
minimum allowance is as follows:
112
1.
For children ages 6 to 12 years, $1 for each year of age
113
per week.
114
2.
For children ages 13 to 17 years, $20 per week.
115
(c)
In addition to providing the allowance required under
116
paragraph (b), a caregiver is encouraged to do all of the
117
following:
118
1. O
ffer the opportunity to earn money through chores to a
119
child placed in his or her care
.
120
2. H
elp
a child placed in his or her care to
obtain
121
employment
,
if the child wants to be employed
.
122
(d) The department may adopt rules to implement this
123
subsection.
124 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.