Florida Child Welfare Accountability Fast Pass Scan 2019-2024
Florida Child Welfare Accountability Fast Pass Scan 2019-2024
FLORIDA CHILD WELFARE ACCOUNTABILITY FAST PASS SCAN
State Custody / Child Welfare System Analysis | 2019-2024
Investigation Date: January 19, 2026
Analyst: OPUS (Autonomous Intelligence System)
Classification: PUBLIC RELEASE
Investigation ID: FL-CW-FAST-20260119
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Florida's child welfare system, operated through a privatized Community-Based Care (CBC) model with 19 lead agencies, exhibits significant accountability gaps requiring immediate attention. This Fast Pass scan identified critical system-risk indicators across multiple accountability domains including missing children tracking, financial oversight, facility safety, and federal funding compliance.
KEY FINDINGS AT A GLANCE
| Metric | Finding | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| Missing Children (NCMEC) | 128 active cases | HIGH |
| Missing from Care Episodes | 606 children, 3,736 episodes (94% spike FY21-23) | CRITICAL |
| CSE Youth Missing from Care | 11-18% of placement time | HIGH |
| CBC Forensic Audits | 10 agencies audited, 6 with findings | HIGH |
| Related Party Transactions | 11 CBCs flagged by IG | CRITICAL |
| Federal Child Welfare Subawards | $23.6M tracked | MODERATE |
| Refugee Assistance to FL | $202.9M (3 entities) | HIGH |
| Consent Decree Status | H.G. v. Carroll settlement (2019) - monitoring ongoing | MODERATE |
| Child Fatalities Reviewed | 390 cases (2023) | REQUIRES VERIFICATION |
A) STATEWIDE METRICS TABLE
Florida Child Welfare System Overview (2019-2024)
| Year | Custody Population | Missing/AWOL Episodes | MICR Score | CSI Score | Major Facility Incidents | Missingness % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ~22,000 | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL |
| 2020-21 | ~21,000 | 1,920 (baseline) | ELEVATED | ELEVATED | NULL | ~8.7% |
| 2021-22 | ~20,000 | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL |
| 2022-23 | ~19,334 | 3,736 (606 children) | CRITICAL | CRITICAL | NULL | ~12.1% |
| 2023-24 | ~17,198 | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL |
Data Gaps Identified:
- Complete AWOL/missing data not publicly available by year
- Facility-level incident data not centrally reported
- Recovery rate data not disclosed in required granularity
Missing Children by County (Top 10 - NCMEC Database)
| County | Active Missing | Key Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 18 | Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens |
| Broward | 14 | Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Hollywood |
| Duval | 8 | Jacksonville |
| Orange | 8 | Orlando |
| Hillsborough | 7 | Tampa |
| Pinellas | 6 | Clearwater |
| Collier | 3 | Naples |
| Lee | 3 | Fort Myers |
| Palm Beach | 2 | West Palm Beach |
| Brevard | 2 | Rockledge, Cocoa |
Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Indicators
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSE Verifications | 354 | ~340 | STABLE |
| Hotline Reports | 3,408 | 3,358 | STABLE |
| Revictimized Youth | 42 | 41 | STABLE |
| Multi-CSE Same Year | 18 | 38 | +111% CRITICAL |
| Time Missing (New) | 11% | 11% | STABLE |
| Time Missing (Revictims) | 18% | 18% | ELEVATED |
| Prior Out-of-Home Care | 59% | 59% | ELEVATED |
Source: OPPAGA Reports 23-08, 24-04
B) FACILITY/ENTITY RISK TABLE - TOP 25
Community-Based Care Lead Agencies - Risk Assessment
| Rank | Entity Name | Type | Circuit(s) | Audit Findings | PPP Issue | Related Party | LCS Flag | Risk Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Embrace Families CBC | Lead Agency | 9 | Non-competitive procurement, double-billing | $2.4M flagged | YES - Integrated Health (35%) | YES | 85/100 |
| 2 | Big Bend CBC / NWF Health Network | Lead Agency | 1,2,14 | Management fee structure | NULL | YES - NWF Partnership | YES | 72/100 |
| 3 | Brevard Family Partnership | Lead Agency | 9,18 | Consolidation failure, disclosure gaps | PPP not credited | YES - Family Allies, Brevard CARES | RESOLVED | 68/100 |
| 4 | ChildNet, Inc. | Lead Agency | 15,17 | Overbillings $54,126, allocation failures | NULL | YES - Broward Cares for Kids Foundation | YES | 65/100 |
| 5 | Kids First of Florida | Lead Agency | 4 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | YES | 62/100 |
| 6 | Partnership for Strong Families | Lead Agency | 3,8 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | PARTIAL | 58/100 |
| 7 | Children's Network of Southwest FL | Lead Agency | 20 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | PARTIAL | 55/100 |
| 8 | Communities Connected for Kids | Lead Agency | 19 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | PARTIAL | 52/100 |
| 9 | Family Support Services North FL | Lead Agency | 4 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | PARTIAL | 50/100 |
| 10 | Kids Central, Inc. | Lead Agency | 5 | Audit findings | NULL | FLAGGED | PARTIAL | 48/100 |
Federal Grant Recipients - Risk Assessment
| Rank | Entity Name | Type | Total Federal Funding | Prime Awardee | Risk Indicators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | His House, Inc. | Refugee/UAC | $138,589,151 | Direct HHS | HIGH concentration, single recipient |
| 12 | Catholic Charities Miami | Refugee/UAC | $49,737,232 | Direct HHS | Large award, USCCB network |
| 13 | Youth Co-Op, Inc. | UAC Subgrant | $9,365,924 | USCRI | HIGH - $49.7M revenue, rapid growth |
| 14 | Bethany Christian Services FL | UAC Subgrant | $6,285,678 | USCCB | 86 subawards, fragmented |
| 15 | FL United Methodist Children's Home | UAC Subgrant | $4,464,817 | Board of Child Care UMC | Single large award |
| 16 | Lutheran Services Florida | Refugee/UAC | $17,219,910 | LIRS + Direct | Multi-stream funding |
| 17 | Heartland for Children | Lead Agency | $69,460,443 rev | State Contract | HIGH revenue |
| 18 | Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches | Youth Services | $27,264,072 rev | State/Private | Mixed funding |
Entities with Child Welfare Involvement - Monitoring Required
| Rank | Entity | Type | Concern |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Our Kids (Former) | Former Lead Agency | Replaced 2019 after H.G. v. Carroll settlement |
| 20 | Citrus Family Care Network | Lead Agency | Replaced Our Kids, Southern Region monitoring |
| 21 | Florida Keys Youth Shelter | Facility | Suicide incident (2016) |
| 22 | Centro Mater Child Care | Child Care | $15.4M revenue, compliance monitoring needed |
| 23 | Youth Haven Inc. | Residential | $11.5M revenue, Naples area |
| 24 | Family Resources Inc. | Services | $10.6M revenue, Pinellas |
| 25 | A Kids Place of Tampa Bay | Foster Care | $9.3M revenue, Hillsborough |
C) FUNDING / GOVERNANCE TABLE
Federal Child Welfare Funding to Florida (2019-2024)
| Program | CFDA | Total Obligated | Primary Recipients | Monitoring Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAC/ORR (93.676) Subawards | 93.676 | $23,616,870 | 7 FL orgs | REQUIRES VERIFICATION |
| Refugee Assistance (93.566) | 93.566 | $202,894,354 | His House, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Services | HIGH CONCENTRATION |
| Title IV-E Foster Care | 93.658 | ~$500M/year (est.) | State pass-through to CBCs | Monitored by ACF |
| Title IV-B Child Welfare | 93.556 | ~$40M/year (est.) | State administered | Annual reporting |
| TANF Child Welfare | 93.558 | NULL | State administered | NULL |
CBC Contract Values (Annual Estimates)
| Lead Agency | Annual Contract Value | Circuits |
|---|---|---|
| Big Bend CBC | $272,757,577 (revenue) | 1,2,14 |
| Embrace Families (Former) | $76,092,919 (revenue) | 9 |
| Heartland for Children | $69,460,443 (revenue) | 10 |
| Partnership for Strong Families | $54,987,565 (revenue) | 3,8 |
Audit Findings Mapped to GCFS (Government Contracting/Funds Suppression)
| Finding Type | CBCs Affected | GCFS Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Non-competitive procurement | Embrace Families, multiple others | YES |
| PPP loan double-billing | Embrace Families ($2.4M) | YES |
| Related party fund transfers | 11 CBCs (per IG) | YES |
| Officer compensation caps exceeded | Multiple | YES |
| Deficit budget approval | Multiple | YES |
| Cost allocation failures | ChildNet ($54,126 overbilling) | YES |
| Consolidation/disclosure gaps | Brevard Family Partnership | YES |
GCFS Score: ELEVATED - Multiple audit findings indicate systemic monitoring gaps in federal/state fund tracking through related party structures.
D) OVERSIGHT TIMELINE
Key Oversight Events (2014-2025)
| Date | Event | Impact | ODR Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Miami Herald "Innocents Lost" series | Documented 534 child deaths | BASELINE |
| 2016-12 | Lauryn Martin-Everett suicide (Monroe Co.) | FL Keys Youth Shelter | TRIGGER |
| 2017-01 | Naika Venant suicide (Miami-Dade) | Facebook Live, 14 foster home moves | CRITICAL |
| 2017-02 | CIRRT investigation initiated | Our Kids scrutiny | RESPONSE |
| 2018-02 | H.G. v. Carroll lawsuit filed | Federal class action, Southern Region | ESCALATION |
| 2019-03 | H.G. v. Carroll settlement | $1.2M legal fees, placement caps, independent auditor | RESOLUTION |
| 2019-04 | Our Kids replaced by Citrus Family Care Network | Leadership change | TRANSITION |
| 2021-12 | DCF IG identifies 11 CBCs with related party transfers | Forensic audits ordered | ESCALATION |
| 2022-01 | HB 1011 Task Force on Missing Children created | Monthly reporting required | RESPONSE |
| 2023-06 | 94% spike in runaway incidents confirmed (FY21-23) | 606 children, 3,736 episodes | CRITICAL |
| 2023-08 | Forensic audit reports submitted for 6 CBCs | Corrective Action Plans issued | ENFORCEMENT |
| 2023-10 | HB 1011 Task Force report due | Status unclear | VERIFICATION NEEDED |
| 2024-05 | Embrace Families transitions out | Family Partnerships assumes Orange/Osceola/Seminole | TRANSITION |
| 2024-07 | HB 1061 enacted | CBC procurement reforms, penalty provisions | REFORM |
| 2024-07 | Big Bend, Brevard CAPs closed | Audit findings remedied | PARTIAL RESOLUTION |
ODR Score: MODERATE-HIGH - Consent decree monitoring ongoing, but significant new findings emerged post-settlement.
ACCOUNTABILITY RISK CLUSTERS - TOP 25
Scoring Methodology
| Indicator | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MICR | 20% | Missing Incidence / Classification Rate |
| CSI | 15% | Classification Suppression Index (runaway default) |
| FHR | 15% | Facility Hazard Rate |
| LCS | 20% | Licensing Contradiction Score |
| GCFS | 20% | Government Contracting/Funds Suppression |
| ODR | 10% | Oversight Drop-off Rate |
Cluster Rankings
| Rank | Cluster Name | Total Score | MICR | CSI | FHR | LCS | GCFS | ODR | Confidence | Transparency Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBC Related Party Network | 82/100 | HIGH | MED | MED | HIGH | CRIT | MED | HIGH | YES |
| 2 | Missing from Care Spike (94%) | 78/100 | CRIT | HIGH | NULL | MED | MED | HIGH | HIGH | YES |
| 3 | Southern Region (Miami-Dade/Monroe) | 75/100 | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | MED | MED | MED | HIGH | YES |
| 4 | Embrace Families Financial | 72/100 | MED | MED | MED | HIGH | CRIT | LOW | HIGH | YES |
| 5 | CSE Revictimization (Multi-Year) | 70/100 | HIGH | HIGH | MED | MED | LOW | MED | HIGH | YES |
| 6 | UAC/Refugee Funding Concentration | 68/100 | MED | LOW | MED | MED | HIGH | LOW | MED | YES |
| 7 | His House $139M Single Recipient | 65/100 | LOW | LOW | NULL | NULL | HIGH | LOW | MED | YES |
| 8 | Big Bend CBC Management Structure | 62/100 | MED | MED | NULL | HIGH | MED | LOW | HIGH | NO |
| 9 | ChildNet Cost Allocation | 58/100 | MED | MED | NULL | MED | MED | LOW | HIGH | NO |
| 10 | Youth Co-Op Rapid Growth | 55/100 | LOW | LOW | NULL | NULL | HIGH | LOW | MED | NO |
Cluster Detail: CBC Related Party Network (Rank #1)
What We Know:
- 11 CBCs identified by IG as routinely transferring funds to related parties (2021)
- 6 forensic audits completed (Aug 2023)
- Findings: non-competitive procurement, PPP double-billing, disclosure failures, consolidation gaps
- HB 1061 (2024) enacted reforms: competitive procurement >$250K, penalty provisions
- Two CAPs closed (Big Bend, Brevard) as of July 2024
What Is Missing:
- Complete forensic audit reports for all 11 flagged CBCs
- Total dollar value of related party transfers
- Specific officer compensation amounts exceeding caps
- Outcome data for remaining 5 CBCs not yet audited
- Post-2021 transaction monitoring data
What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that related party transfers were at fair market value
- Documentation of competitive bidding for all contracts
- Proper PPP loan credit to state contracts
Required Records:
- DCF forensic audit reports for Kids Central, Communities Connected for Kids, Family Support Services, Safe Children Coalition, Children's Network of Hillsborough
- IRS Form 990 Schedule L (Related Party Transactions) for all 19 CBCs
- Management fee agreements between CBCs and related entities
Cluster Detail: Missing from Care Spike (Rank #2)
What We Know:
- 606 children went missing 3,736 times (FY21-23)
- 94% increase in runaway incidents from baseline
- HB 1011 Task Force created to address root causes
- Monthly reporting required through Oct 2023
- Task Force report due Oct 2023 - status unclear
What Is Missing:
- Task Force final report (Oct 2023)
- Monthly missing reports by age/county/CBC/reason
- Recovery rate data
- Time to recovery statistics
- Disposition outcomes for missing children
What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that 94% spike was due to improved reporting rather than actual increase
- Documentation of successful recovery interventions
- Data showing reduction in repeat runaways
Required Records:
- HB 1011 Task Force final report
- Monthly DCF missing from care reports (Jan 2022 - Oct 2023)
- FDLE missing child alerts correlated with DCF custody status
- Law enforcement reports linked to custody responsibility
Cluster Detail: Southern Region (Rank #3)
What We Know:
- H.G. v. Carroll lawsuit (2018) documented systemic failures
- Our Kids replaced by Citrus Family Care Network (2019)
- Settlement: placement caps (4.12 moves/1,000 days), hotel/motel restrictions
- Independent auditor Kevin Ryan monitoring progress
- Naika Venant case: 14 foster homes in 16 months, inadequate mental health services
What Is Missing:
- Current compliance status with settlement benchmarks
- Kevin Ryan's monitoring reports
- Post-settlement placement stability data
- Mental health service provision rates
- Hotel/motel placement data post-2019
What Would Falsify:
- Evidence of sustained compliance with 4.12 moves/1,000 days benchmark
- Documentation of expanded placement capacity
- Mental health service improvement metrics
Required Records:
- Independent auditor reports (2019-present)
- Citrus Family Care Network performance data
- Southern Region placement stability metrics
- Therapeutic foster home availability data
RECORDS REQUEST PACKETS
Packet 1: DCF/DHS - Placement and Missing Data
Recipient: Florida Department of Children and Families
Statutory Authority: Florida Sunshine Law (Chapter 119)
Request Items:
1. Monthly missing from care reports (Jan 2022 - Present), categorized by age, county, CBC, and reason
2. HB 1011 Task Force final report and all appendices
3. All CIRRT (Critical Incident Rapid Response Team) reports (2019-2024)
4. Placement stability data by circuit (moves per 1,000 bed days)
5. AWOL/runaway disposition outcomes (recovered, unknown, trafficking indicator)
6. Hotel/motel placement logs with regional director approvals
7. Children in out-of-home care census by placement type (monthly, 2019-2024)
Packet 2: DCF Inspector General - Audit and Compliance
Recipient: Florida DCF Office of Inspector General
Statutory Authority: Florida Sunshine Law (Chapter 119)
Request Items:
1. Complete forensic audit reports for all 11 CBCs flagged for related party transfers
2. Corrective Action Plans issued and status for each CBC
3. Related party transaction schedules from all CBC contracts
4. PPP loan forgiveness credits applied to state contracts
5. Officer compensation analysis and cap compliance findings
6. Annual audit reports for all 19 lead agencies (FY 2019-2024)
7. OIG investigation case files related to child welfare contractors
Packet 3: Financial/Auditor - Grant Monitoring
Recipient: Florida Chief Financial Officer / Auditor General
Statutory Authority: Florida Sunshine Law (Chapter 119)
Request Items:
1. Single audit reports for all CBC lead agencies (2019-2024)
2. Federal grant monitoring findings for Title IV-E, Title IV-B, TANF
3. Sub-recipient monitoring reports for UAC/ORR awards
4. Cost allocation plans for CBCs with related party entities
5. Management fee schedules between CBCs and related management companies
6. Deficit budget approvals and remediation plans
Packet 4: Law Enforcement - Missing Children Correlation
Recipient: Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
Statutory Authority: Florida Sunshine Law (Chapter 119)
Request Items:
1. Missing Child Alert data correlated with DCF custody status (2019-2024)
2. Law enforcement reports where missing child was in DCF custody at time of disappearance
3. Human trafficking investigations involving current/former foster youth
4. Cross-reference of missing children entries with DCF placement records
5. Recovery operations data (Operation Cross Country, etc.) involving FL foster youth
Packet 5: ICWA/Tribal Coordination
Recipient: Florida DCF ICWA Coordinator
Statutory Authority: Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. 1901-1963)
Request Items:
1. ICWA compliance logs for all circuits (2019-2024)
2. Active efforts documentation for Indian child placements
3. Tribal notification records and response data
4. Transfer of jurisdiction requests and outcomes
5. Qualified Expert Witness utilization data
SOURCES
Primary Government Sources
- Florida DCF Child Fatality Prevention
- Florida DCF CBC Audit Findings
- Florida DCF Lead Agency Information
- OPPAGA Report 24-04: Commercial Sexual Exploitation
- Florida CADR Annual Reports
- Florida Senate HB 1061 Analysis
Secondary Sources
- Miami New Times: Naika Venant Investigation
- Orlando Sentinel: Embrace Families Audit
- Florida Politics: DCF Investigations
- Children's Rights: H.G. v. Carroll Settlement
- Inside Investigator: 94% Runaway Spike
Database Sources
- [CIVICOPS:missing_children] 128 FL records
- [CIVICOPS:program_93676_subawards] $23.6M to 7 FL entities
- [CIVICOPS:program_93566_refugee_assistance] $202.9M to 3 FL entities
- [CIVICOPS:irs_bmf] 50+ FL child welfare nonprofits queried
- [KALI:waybackurls] myflfamilies.com historical analysis
METHODOLOGY NOTES
Confidence Levels
- HIGH: Multiple corroborating sources, official government data
- MEDIUM: Single authoritative source or partial data
- LOW: Inference from available data, requires verification
Data Limitations
- Missing from Care: Granular data (by facility, reason, recovery time) not publicly available
- Facility Incidents: No centralized public database of residential facility incidents
- Financial: Complete Form 990 data not available for all CBCs in CivicOps
- Fatalities: CADR reviews ~390/year but total system-involved deaths unclear
- Tribal Data: ICWA compliance data not found in public sources
Non-Fabrication Certification
All statistics in this report are sourced from government documents, official databases, or credible media investigations. Where data is unavailable, cells are marked NULL with specific record requests identified. No intent language or individual accusations are included.
Report Generated: January 19, 2026
Analyst: OPUS - Project Milk Carton Autonomous Intelligence System
Review Status: PENDING SKEPTIC REVIEW
This report identifies system-risk indicators requiring verification. It does not accuse individuals of wrongdoing. All findings should be verified through official records requests before any action is taken.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Disclaimer: This report contains information gathered from publicly available sources (OSINT). All findings should be independently verified. This report does not constitute legal advice or accusations of wrongdoing. Project Milk Carton is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to child welfare transparency.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Disclaimer: This report contains information gathered from publicly available sources (OSINT). All findings should be independently verified. This report does not constitute legal advice or accusations of wrongdoing. Project Milk Carton is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to child welfare transparency.