Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Hillsborough leaders request data on foster care diversion

tampabay.com · 21h · first reportShare

Three weeks after a Tampa Bay Times investigation revealed a side door in Hillsborough County’s child welfare system, concerned community leaders pushed for more information from the agency responsible Tuesday. Board members for a community advisory committee raised questions for the Children’s Network of Hillsborough, the local foster care agency, including how the agency tracks kids diverted from foster care and how it measures success. The Children’s Network is expected to present an annual update on its work at a meeting in October. That will include a deeper look at its intensive family services team, a diversion program which connects families with services like drug rehab and mental health care. The Times found the team separated hundreds of families without the oversight, protections or support of the formal foster care system. Judge Daryl Manning said he has been in constant communication with Children’s Network staff and that the presentation was planned before the Times repo