FL H0139

Circuit courts may create early childhood court programs to serve infants and toddlers in dependency court, using specialized dockets, multidisciplinary teams, evidence-based treatment, and nonadversarial approaches led by judges educated in early childhood development.

Programs must include therapeutic jurisprudence, a service coordination procedure (via community coordinator or coordination system), a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders, and a continuum of mental health services focused on the parent-child relationship.

Office of State Courts Administrator shall coordinate community coordinator positions for participating circuits and contract with university-based centers with infant mental health expertise to hire clinical directors ensuring treatment quality and fidelity.

Florida Institute for Child Welfare must submit implementation status reports to the Governor and Legislature by December 1, 2020 and 2021, and a full program impact evaluation by October 1, 2022.

Effective date: July 1, 2019.