HM 7039 Summary

• Urges Congress to establish a child welfare block grant to replace Title IV-E federal funding, providing states with greater flexibility in delivering child welfare services.

• Requests that block grant eligibility be broadened to include any child in need, with total funding sufficient to meet identified needs while accounting for population growth, inflation, and changing family circumstances.

• Cites Florida's Title IV-E waiver expiration on September 30, 2018, and federal requirement that all waiver operations terminate by September 30, 2019, as impetus for federal legislative action.

• Emphasizes that block grant flexibility would enable states to tailor community-based programs and supports to individual families, emphasizing prevention and reducing out-of-home placements while providing incentives for earlier intervention.

• Directs copies of the memorial to be sent to the President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and all Florida members of Congress.