Florida Children and Youth Cabinet: Children and Youth Collaboration Services Workgroup

Chaired by Guardian ad Litem Executive Director Alan Abramowitz, the Children and Youth Collaboration Services Workgroup was formed through merging of the Community Services Delivery Models and the Youth Services Collaboration Workgroups to focus on identifying opportunities for organizations to work together in more efficient and effective ways and to address real and perceived administrative barriers at the federal, state and local levels to improve services for children and youth.  This unified approach will allow for the continued development of a conceptual framework to propose local pilot projects that promote collaboration and implementation of services that are planned, managed and delivered in a holistic and integrated manner.  In addition, this unified approach will enable better decision making, shared information and improved access to sometimes “siloed” funding that can produce improved outcomes for children and youth.

The framework of the proposed local pilot projects will set forth:

• The Florida Children and Youth Cabinet (Cabinet) indicator(s) to be addressed;
• A service delivery system to achieve the Cabinet indicator(s) with measurable outcomes for children and youth;
• The process by which services will be delivered to achieve measurable outcomes that:
  • Provides for the most effective, cost-efficient and appropriate services for children and youth;
  • Is inclusive of outcomes or recommendations from other Cabinet workgroups;
  • Assures proper accounting and expenditure of public funds; and
  • Provides for a central managing entity responsible for coordinating the delivery of the services and the overall effectiveness of the local pilot project.

The proposed local pilot projects will look to include language on waivers to reduce duplication and inefficiency, waivers of certain reporting requirements or rules as provided by the pilot project, and waivers of funding restrictions otherwise imposed by law or appropriation conditions.  All information from the proposed local pilot projects will be subject to review by the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet for consideration of legislative recommendations in 2014.

The workgroup includes members from the Governor’s Office, business community, child advocates and representatives from state agencies and local organizations that serve children. Other experts in child welfare, advocacy groups and agencies will provide technical assistance, as needed.