FLORIDA, USA — Changes are happening to how child protective investigations are handled.
Previously, there were seven county sheriff's offices that investigated child welfare cases. The rest of the cases across the state were handled by the Department of Children and Families.
Those seven counties account for a quarter of the state's child population.
Now, all child protective investigations will be handled by DCF. These cases involve allegations of child abuse, neglect and abandonment.
In the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, and Pasco counties' Sheriff's Offices created Child Protective Investigation Departments.
This local management of child welfare cases began back in the mid-1990s with Manatee County. In 1999, Pasco and Pinellas counties adopted the program. Hillsborough County followed in 2005.
Now, all seven counties, including the four in the local area, have until the end of 2023 to transfer their cases and their investigators to DCF. This change comes following a bill lawmakers passed during the 2023 session, repealing a Florida statute that allowed for local child protective investigators.
So, how many child and active cases are impacted? 10 Tampa Bay asked our local sheriff's offices. They referred us back to DCF.
At the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, only a portion of the investigators were transferred to the state department to continue investigating.
"Sheriff Chad Chronister worked to transfer employees from the Child Protective Investigations Division (CPID) to other roles within HCSO," a sheriff's office press release said. "Of the 169 CPID employees, 78 remain at HCSO, 57 took positions with DCF and 34 went on to find other work."
This leaves the question: Will DCF have enough investigators to manage the caseload they now have?
The Department says it has approximately 1,600 child protective investigation (CPI) positions throughout the state. Currently, 147 CPIs from sheriff's offices in the impacted counties accepted positions with the Department, in addition to 320 new employees that were recently onboarded as a part of the transition.
"The Department has implemented a robust recruitment campaign in anticipation of this transition in the affected counties," the agency wrote in a statement. "We are excited about the level of enthusiasm from prospective applicants and the success of our hiring fairs and recruitment efforts thus far."
The Department ended the fiscal year 2022-2023 with a statewide vacancy rate for CPIs at 7%. The agency said this is down from over 20% the prior fiscal year.
Over the years, 10 Tampa Bay's investigative team has uncovered the shortfalls of the state department as well as the county-level investigators that, in some cases, have involved the deaths of children.
Pasco County transferred all of its cases to DCF on July 28.
Hillsborough County said, "Effective July 14, 2023, Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) will take control of all child protective investigations in Florida, including Hillsborough County."
A public information officer with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office shared they will have all of their cases transferred over by Friday, August 4.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Manatee County and is waiting to hear back.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.