FL S7072

Creates position of Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare within Department of Children and Families, requiring appointee to hold social work degree and have 7+ years experience in child protective or welfare services.

Establishes requirement that 80 percent of child protective investigators and supervisors hired after July 1, 2014 by the department or sheriff's offices must have bachelor's or master's degree in social work from Council on Social Work Education-accredited programs.

Creates tuition exemption program and student loan forgiveness program (up to $3,000 annually for 4 years) for child protective investigators and supervisors employed by the department or sheriff's offices who pursue social work degrees.

Establishes Florida Institute for Child Welfare within Florida State University College of Social Work as a consortium of public and private universities to conduct research, policy analysis, and leadership development for child protection and welfare services.

Creates criminal offense of unlawful abandonment of a child as a third-degree felony when caregiver abandons child with knowledge that abandonment exposes child to unreasonable risk of harm, with exception for newborn surrenders under safe haven law.