Florida Florida Statutes
§ 39.001 — Purposes and intent; personnel standards and screening
FS § 39.001Ch. 39
Statute text
View on source(1)PURPOSES OF CHAPTER.—The purposes of this chapter are:(a) To provide for the care, safety, and protection of children in an environment that fosters healthy social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development; to ensure secure and safe custody; to promote the health and well-being of all children under the state's care; and to prevent the occurrence of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
(b)To recognize that most families desire to be competent caregivers and providers for their children and that children achieve their greatest potential when families are able to support and nurture the growth and development of their children. Therefore, the Legislature finds that policies and procedures that provide for prevention and intervention through the department's child protection system should be based on the following principles:1. The health and safety of the children served shall be of paramount concern. 2. The prevention and intervention should engage families in constructive, supportive, and nonadversarial relationships. 3. The prevention and intervention should intrude as little as possible into the life of the family, be focused on clearly defined objectives, and keep the safety of the child or children as the paramount concern. 4. The prevention and intervention should be based upon outcome evaluation results that demonstrate success in protecting children and supporting families.
(c)To provide a child protection system that reflects a partnership between the department, other agencies, the courts, law enforcement agencies, service providers, and local communities.
(d)To provide a child protection system that is sensitive to the social and cultural diversity of the state.
(e)To provide procedures which allow the department to respond to reports of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect in the most efficient and effective manner that ensures the health and safety of children and the integrity of families.
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Legislative history
s. 1, ch. 26880, 1951; s. 1, ch. 73-231; s. 1, ch. 78-414; s. 1, ch. 82-62; s. 62, ch. 85-81; s. 1, ch. 85-206; s. 10, ch. 85-248; s. 19, ch. 86-220; s. 1, ch. 90-53; ss. 1, 2, ch. 90-208; s. 2, ch. 90-306; s. 2, ch. 91-33; s. 68, ch. 91-45; s. 13, ch. 91-57; s. 5, ch. 93-156; s. 23, ch. 93-200; s. 19, ch. 93-230; s. 14, ch. 94-134; s. 14, ch. 94-135; ss. 9, 10, ch. 94-209; s. 1332, ch. 95-147; s. 7, ch. 95-152; s. 8, ch. <span xml:space="preserve" c