Abstract
Twenty years after the transition of a state-run social service system to the private sector, a question remains: how has privatization shaped the environment in which child welfare decisions are made in Florida and has it worked? This presentation will provide a retrospective overview of the history and rationale of privatizing a primary social service within a culturally and socioeconomically diverse population and will also provide an update on the status of privatization in Florida’s child welfare system in the current day. Research is shared on emergent themes from stakeholder interviews and key organizational documents regarding the privatization of Florida’s child welfare system and changes to the structure and governance of child welfare agencies and decisions regarding structuring private public partnerships. Guided by a grounded theory approach to qualitative data analysis, content analysis of child welfare organization documents, child welfare stakeholder interview transcripts, community governance partner surveys, and observational field notes was performed. Prominent themes addressed include the history and pace of implementation, establishing roles and relationships, accountability, organizational flexibility and variance, and enhancing community involvement and governance. We share a unique model that emphasizes partnership and advocacy across a diverse group of community-based organizations offering a richer understanding of the ups and downs of public private partnerships in engaging communities and serving their most vulnerable.
Presenters
Amy VargoResearch Assistant Professor, Child and Family Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Studies, University of South Florida, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Community Diversity and Governance
KEYWORDS
COMMUNITY, GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, CHILD WELFARE, DIVERSITY
