Today, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) filed a proposed permanent rule that prohibits the issuance or renewal of licenses for facilities or organizations that house Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) whom the Federal Government is resettling across the United States, including Florida, unless there is a cooperative agreement between the State of Florida and the Federal Government.
DCF Secretary Shevaun Harris said, “Through its policies, the Federal Government has made a decision to encourage the mass smuggling of minors to the southern border without their parents. No government that claimed to care for children would ever tolerate this. The Federal Government’s careless policies have led to this unsafe situation, and Florida will no longer be complicit in it. By ending the State’s involvement with the UAC program, the proposed rule will finally force the Federal Government to take full responsibility for the care and treatment of the UAC population.”
The proposed rule will not affect the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program because there is a cooperative agreement that governs the resettlement of URM. Additionally, the rule also bars existing licensees from adding to their UAC population, but would require them to conduct regular, in-person welfare checks of any UAC from their current population who are placed with sponsors in Florida.
DCF is the state’s lead agency to implement and maintain Florida’s refugee resettlement program in coordination and consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and other federal agencies.
The state has an approved state plan for Refugee Resettlement with ORR, which defines the state’s role regarding URM, and this URM program is not impacted by the rule. Providers serving URM may continue to accept and serve these children.
There is, however, no corresponding agreement or state plan with ORR regarding UAC. DCF’s proposed rule prohibits a UAC child-placing or residential child-caring agency from accepting UAC without such an agreement in place.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GoFundMe or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.