Ending Abuse—Improving Lives - Florida Department of Children ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

the Duluth, Minnesota Domestic Abuse Intervention Projectand nearly 200 people attended this event from centralFlorida communities.The Department of Children and Families and GovernorBush remain steadfast in the view that perpetrators ofdomestic violence will be held accountable for crimesagainst women and children in Florida. The departmentmonitors the state’s certified batterer interventionprograms, which provide services to offenders ofdomestic violence. Forty six percent of the 7,936 batterersenrolled in FY 2005-2006 successfully completeda program. The year 2006 marks the 10 th anniversary ofstate certification of batterer intervention programs andassessors in Florida. At the end of the fiscal year, therewere 140 certified programs and 238 certified assessorsin Florida, including initial certification for five programsand twenty-five assessors.The Florida Legislature continued generous support ofthe Governor’s Violence Free Florida! campaign in 2005by appropriating more than $28 million in support servicesfor victims of domestic violence. Sixty-four percentof the funding was from federal programs such as theFamily Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA),Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), ViolenceAgainst Women Act (VAWA), and the Social ServicesBlock Grant (SSBG). State funding accounted for36 percent of the budget, with fees and fines providingmost of the revenue.For the past eight years, Governor Bush has demonstratedhis strong commitment to protect Florida’s victims ofdomestic violence by signing significant legislation,which he has continued this year. In 2006, the Governorsigned three important domestic violence related bills.The first increases the penalty for trespassing at a domesticviolence center to a third degree felony. The secondbill directs that anyone engaging in human traffickingby forcing someone to perform labor be charged withracketeering. The last piece of legislation increases therequired continuing education in domestic violence forphysicians from one hour to two hours at initial licensure.This bill also mandates that the course must consist ofinformation on domestic violence screening, history, andprofessional practice.Violence Free Florida! initiative through earnest legislativeachievements that hold perpetrators of domestic violenceaccountable for their crimes. The Legislature has demonstratedcompassion for domestic violence victims andtheir children by recognizing the need to protect the vulnerablecitizens of Florida by passing laws and supportingprograms that provide education, public awareness, safehousing, and offender accountability.We know from research that over two million acts ofdomestic violence take place in the United States everyyear. Congressman Jerry Moran (Kansas) stated in hisspeech given before Congress in honor of DomesticViolence Awareness Month (Oct. 2005) that “domesticviolence is an issue that affects all aspects of societyand is not bound by race, economics, or age. It canbe blamed for increased medical costs and decreasedproductivity. Domestic violence promotes a culture ofdepression, hopelessness, and fear. We know that eachyear an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed toviolence committed by family members against theirmother or caretaker. Children who see violence are morelikely to commit or suffer violence when they becomeadults. The cycle of despair continues from one generationto the next.”Lucy Hadi, Secretary of the Department of Children andFamilies, supports Governor Bush and the Florida Legislature’sefforts to “deliver a level and quality of servicewe would want for our own families.” The departmentrecognizes that no system is perfect. Building a systematiccommunity response to family violence begins witha strong commitment from Legislators, community andfaith-based organizations, law enforcement, prosecutionand courts. It is through this innovative coordinatedeffort and the outstanding partnership with theFlorida Coalition Against Domestic Violence that Floridais recognized as a national leader in the battle againstdomestic violence. Lastly, we wish to thank Governorand Mrs. Bush for their years of dedicated commitmentto strengthening programs that support the protectionof women and children exposed to domestic violence.Without their tireless efforts and influence, funding,special projects, and prestigious national recognitionwould not have been possible.We sincerely appreciate and thank the Legislature fortheir non-partisan commitment to support the Governor’s Domestic Violence Annual Report 2005-2006
Legislative UpdateFlorida continues to lead the nation by enacting Legislationthat addresses violent acts against women andchildren. Governor Bush and the Legislature remaincommitted to support legislation that targets the specificneeds of Florida’s victims of domestic violence. During FY2005-2006, significant initiatives from the 2005 legislativesession became effective, and several new measures werepassed by the 2006 Legislature.2005 LegislatureAlimony Termination/Modification,Senate Bill 152 (Chapter 2005-168,Laws of Florida) sponsored bySenator Gary Siplin of Orlando• Authorizes courts to modify orterminate an alimony payment ifthere is “substantial competentevidence” the recipient is in a“supportive relationship”;• Requires the obligor to be responsiblefor obtaining the “substantialcompetent evidence”;• Extends the court’s authority toterminate alimony in situationsin which the recipient is in aplatonic, live-in relationship withanother person; and• Effective June 10, 2005.Child Abuse Death Review Committee,Senate Bill 676 (Chapter2005-190, Laws of Florida) sponsored by Senator BurtSaunders of Naples• Provides an exemption from public records any informationthat reveals the identity of surviving familymembers or others living in the home of a deceasedchild that is the subject of review by the state’s ChildAbuse Death Review Committee; and• Effective July 1, 2005.Family Court Efficiency, Senate Bill 348 (Chapter 2005-239, Laws of Florida) sponsored by Senator EvelynLynn of Ormond Beach• Authorizes the Supreme Court to create a uniqueidentifier for each person in the court system in orderto identify all court cases related to that person or hisor her family;• Deletes language that requires the court to awardgrandparents visitation rights; and• Effective July 1, 2005.Protective Injunctions, SenateBill 512 (Chapter 2005-512,Laws of Florida) sponsored bySenator Dave Aronberg of Ft.Myers• Permit parents to seek protectiveinjunctions for their minorchildren living at home;• Specifies that a parent does nothave to be an eyewitness orhave direct physical evidence ofsexual, repeat or dating violenceto seek the injunction;• Allows governmental employersto seek injunctions againstrepeat violence on behalf oftheir employees;• Indicates that a parent must,however, be an eyewitness orhave direct physical evidenceif he or she is seeking a protective order for the childagainst the other parent; and• Effective June 17, 2005.Child Protective Investigations, Senate Bill 758 (Chapter2005-213, Laws of Florida) sponsored by SenatorStephen Wise of Jacksonville• Exempts personal identifying information about individualswho appear in reports and records but are notresponsible for the child abuse/neglect; and• Effective June 10, 2005.Domestic Violence Annual Report 2005-2006
Page 1 and 2: Violence Free Florida!Ending Abuse
Page 3 and 4: State of FloridaDepartment of Child
Page 5: Executive SummaryEach year the Depa
Page 15: Service Provided FY 2005-2006Emerge
Page 18 and 19: in May 2006. One hundred and fifty-
Page 20 and 21: Certified Domestic Violence Centers
Page 22 and 23: 22 Domestic Violence Annual Report
Page 24 and 25: of open and honest communication be
Page 26 and 27: Certified Batterer Intervention Pro
Page 33 and 34: Atlantic Coast Counseling4047 Okeec
Page 35 and 36: Breakthrough Recovery Services, Inc
Page 37 and 38: Domestic Violence Fatality Review T
Page 39 and 40: Domestic Violence Fatality Review T
Page 41 and 42: Community Education and Public Awar
Page 43 and 44: mestic violence issues in their wor
Page 45 and 46: Florida Prosecuting Attorney’s As
Page 47 and 48: Grant ProgramsThe Domestic Violence
Page 49 and 50: in previous years because affordabl
Page 51 and 52: Other Statewide ProgramsAttorney Ge
Page 53 and 54: grant, totaling $1,017,757. See the
Page 55 and 56: Financial HighlightsThe department
Page 57 and 58:
DCFDistrictCounty ServedCenterDomes
Page 59 and 60:
DCFDistrictCounty ServedCenterDomes
Page 61 and 62:
County Project and Contact Informat
Page 63 and 64:
County Project and Contact Informat
Page 65 and 66:
Violence Against Women ActSpecializ
Page 67 and 68:
Circuit County Project and Contact
Page 69 and 70:
AppendicesTotal Domestic Violence R
Page 71 and 72:
CRIME IN FLORIDAJanuary - June 2006
Page 73 and 74:
Madison 19,696 0 0 0 0 0 19 0 73 0
Page 75 and 76:
Domestic Violence Annual Report 200
Page 77 and 78:
¿Qué Es La Violencia Doméstica?L
Page 79 and 80:
Domestic Violence Program Office131
show all

Ending Abuse—Improving Lives - Florida Department of Children ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?