About the Department of Children and Families

The Florida Department of Children and Families has adopted an integrated approach to programs and services as we work to help improve the lives of individuals and families.

Everyday, the men and women at the Florida Department of Children and Families work hard to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

We protect children, the elderly and the disabled from abuse and neglect. We are responsible for nearly 19,000 children in foster care, and we find permanent homes for children who cannot safety be reunited with their families.

We also offer services that help families on a day-to-day basis. We provide food stamps and temporary cash assistance and determine eligibility for Medicaid. We provide access to substance abuse and mental health treatment and we work with community partners who provide services to families threatened by homelessness and domestic violence.

Our goal is to be recognized as a world-class social services system, delivering valued services to our customers. We are committed to providing a level and quality of service we would want for our own families.

To that end, we are committed to:

• Being driven by the needs and choices of our customers.
• Promoting family and personal self-determination and choice.
• Being ethically, socially, and culturally responsible.
• Earning the trust and respect of our partners, customers, and the public by providing exceptional customer service while practicing sound fiscal stewardship.
• Partnering with community and faith-based organizations to foster open and collaborative relationships.
• Being innovative and flexible.
• Being transparent and accessible.
• Being dedicated to excellence and quality results.
• Maintaining an analytic and systematic approach to planning and performance management.
• Using resources wisely and make practical use of technology.