Stable and Nurturing Families

Florida reflects a society comprised of four generations - children, parents, grandparents and super-elder great-grandparents. For all Floridians to participate fully in society, families need to thrive - children need to be able to grow to full potential and elders need to feel secure and believe they are needed. It is our desire that all families are stable and nurturing as measured by:

• Increase in the percentage of stable new families (i.e., with the first birth to a mother who has completed high school and is age 20 or older and with the father's name recorded on the birth certificate.)
• Reduction in the number of subsequent pregnancies that occur within two years of the birth of the last baby.
• Reduction in the percentage of teenage mothers who have second or more children.
• Increase in the percentage of intended pregnancies.
• Reduction in the rate of single women giving birth.
• Reduction in the separation and divorce rate.
• Reduction in the incidence of "some indication" or "verified" report of child abuse or neglect.
• Reduction in the percentage of children under the age of six in need of foster care services.
• Increase the percentage of children under age six in foster care who are placed in a permanent home within 12 months.
• Reduction in the average number of moves for children under age six within the child substitute care system (e.g., foster care).
• Increase in the percentage of families able to access and afford quality early education and care.
• Increase in the percentage of children with vision and hearing problems corrected by the time of entry into kindergarten.
• Increase in the percentage of parents and relative caregivers with parenting knowledge and skills to anticipate and meet the developmental and special needs of their children.
• Increase in the involvement of elders as contributing members of families.

If these positive outcomes can be achieved, when Florida's infants and young children become older we will impact spending and save taxpayer resources by:

• Reducing the need for and commensurate costs of teenage parent programs.
• Reducing the growth rate of cash supports for young people and parents who cannot compete in the labor market.
• Reducing the growth rate of foster care homes and associated payments.
• Reducing the growth rate of adoptions subsidies.
• Reducing the growth rate of the number of children below poverty level with at least one parent or relative caregiver employed full-time.

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