ALACHUA COUNTY- Fewer children are being placed into protective services in Alachua County
 

Not only that, the length of time children stay in foster has decreased in circuits 3 and 8 (includes Alachua County) from 16.8 months to 4.5 months.

I met with a team from DCF and the partnership for strong families today and they tell me that the trends represent  a department focus geared towards preserving the family unit and getting in home services to parents that need it.

However, In cases of serious abuse and child neglect, they don’t hesitate to remove a child from a dangerous situation.

For every 100 abuse reports received, about 8 kids are removed from homes, a slim number that has gone down 42 percent since last year.

Rapid Response teams help avoid removing kids from problem homes when possible by offering a wide range of services covering issues like mental health, parenting, and substance abuse.