After child-porn arrest, deeper DCF lapses found

The lapses in hiring, background screening and computer security that allowed a Department of Children & Families press secretary to allegedly lure teenagers into child pornography are widespread and potentially costly to fix, a new internal report says.

An 11-page report by DCF's Inspector General into breakdowns in employment and computer security identified a lack of consistency throughout the 13,500-employee agency in dealing with hiring, vetting of job applicants, criminal history screening, and the use and inventory of computers.

''It is of concern that the department cannot readily determine whether adequate background checks have been completed on employees provide direct services to children and vulnerable adults,'' said the report, which was completed earlier this month.

The internal investigation was prompted by the Feb. 1, 2008, arrest of Al Zimmerman, then the second-highest ranking spokesman for DCF. The agency provides child welfare, mental health, public assistance and domestic violence services and oversight to tens of thousands of Floridians.

Miami Herald

A House budget proposal set for formal release Sunday provides a first glance at the depth and scope of the cuts the Legislature will consider for human services, the second largest area of the state's operating budget behind education.

The plan calls for stripping $1-billion from the human services budget for 2008-09, as part of the House plan to cope with a $2.5-billion drop in state revenue. Also lost will be significant federal matching dollars.

Among the House's key targets are optional programs under Medicaid, the health care program for poor residents under 65, including children and the disabled who cannot otherwise afford coverage.
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The Department of Children and Families would lose about 700 full-time jobs. Proposed cuts include a 5 percent reduction to sheriffs in seven counties who handle child abuse investigations, including Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough. Critics predicted caseloads will rise and take longer to complete.

Residents can sign up for e-mails about address changes by registered offenders.

Keeping track of registered sex offenders and predators in your neighborhood just got easier thanks to a new system unveiled Thursday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Residents can register to receive an e-mail alert any time a registered offender or predator moves into the community. They also can receive notifications when specific offenders or predators change their registered addresses.

Wanda Chandler, a Neighborhood Watch coordinator in Sanford, said she notified about 100 members of her group as soon as she learned of the new service. She said she already checks for offenders and predators in her neighborhood but called this new program a real improvement.

"I think it's very important, especially for people who have children," she said.

Orlando Sentinel