Pinellas County, Fla. (WFLA) – The bill on the governor’s desk promises to help keep children on the right path. Florida lawmakers passed a law prioritizing early intervention, ensuring at-risk youth receive the support they need.
In a partisan push, the law revamps the state’s statue and creates a more efficient and responsive framework of juvenile justice.
Florida has enacted Dexter and Trooper laws to combat animal cruelty
The bill aims to improve institutional coordination, focusing on promoting education, strengthening families and preventing involvement in young people’s criminal behavior.
“As a former child and family lawyer, I have witnessed delayed interventions and systemic deficits can derail a child’s future, and I have seen parents seek help.
The bill’s sponsors say schools, courts, service providers and families are currently playing a role in helping them better paths for Florida youth.
“These are young people running away from home. They have not appeared in schools. They are right there on the point of different things, whether it’s addictive or delinquent. And there’s the service there to make sure they’re not down that path.”
Jack added that a key part of the bill focuses on improving the education system and addressing issues of student attendance.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a decline in attendance in Florida when it comes to schools since the pandemic, so the bill added additional measures to track the number of absenteeism schools are experiencing.
Representative Jack worked with the Department of Justice to obtain the bill across the finish line. He says this is a priority for the governor’s administration and he hopes to sign the bill.
