Strengthening Florida’s Child Welfare System

Challenge

Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) needed to modernize its child abuse hotline and statewide child welfare system after years of limited progress despite major investments. The effort focused on replacing outdated, fragmented processes with an integrated solution to improve access, decision-making, and outcomes while ensuring reliable data and effective training for over 7,000 users.

Solution

To enable measurable progress after years of stalled efforts, we conducted a comprehensive review of Florida’s child abuse hotline, assessing processes, technology, staffing, and policies. The review resulted in a phased plan that streamlined workflows, mitigated risk, and improved access. Building on that foundation, we designed, built, and implemented the Florida Safe Families Network (SACWIS) with integrated modules, rigorous testing and training, and strong stakeholder engagement to support seamless implementation.

7,000+

SACWIS users, including key stakeholders such as community-based providers, law enforcement, and foster families

4

Learning modules created and delivered covering services, providers, finance, and staff management

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Hotline Assessment and Reform

Our comprehensive review of Florida’s child abuse hotline included examining processes, staffing, technology, policies, and performance. The resulting phased plan enabled DCF to streamline workflows, reduce risk, and improve accessibility and decision-making. DCF adopted these recommendations, rebuilding the hotline organization and infrastructure with legislative and budget support.

SACWIS Implementation

Our team designed, developed, and launched SACWIS statewide for more than 7,000 users including DCF, sheriff’s offices, and community-based agencies. The system replaced fragmented legacy tools with four integrated modules supporting service, provider, financial, and staff management. We completed a full testing lifecycle, produced a data dictionary and procurement specifications, and supported deployment and disaster recovery.

Technical Assistance

We trained SACWIS end users through web-based training, classroom curricula, help guides, and a train-the-trainer program. These resources improved system adoption, child placement decision-making, operational insight, and outcomes reporting for children and families. Together, these efforts strengthened statewide child welfare service delivery, coordination, and oversight across Florida’s child welfare network.