The funding will give Floridians assistance through community-based programs that offer mentoring and other support.
QUICK FACTS:
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law Monday to support fatherhood in his state, according to The Daily Wire.
- The governor is allocating $70 million in new requirements for the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
- Included in the law’s verbiage is the requirement to implement a new “Fatherhood Initiative” that would support community-based groups focused on mentoring for fathers.
- DeSantis said in his announcement of the bill that he believes the new legislation will assist fathers in reaching their “God-given potential.”
WHAT’S IN THE BILL:
- The bill outlines a requirement that “the Department of Children and Families and Department of Juvenile Justice to identify and meet the needs of dually-involved children within a specified timeframe; revising information that must be included in a transition plan; requiring prenatal and infant health care delivery programs to include certain father engagement activities.”
- The newly minted law goes on to say that it is “requiring the Department of Children and Families to contract for the development and implementation of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative and to provide grants to community-based not-for-profit organizations to offer certain mentorship programs; designating the month of June as ‘Responsible Fatherhood Month.”
BACKGROUND:
- DeSantis made his statements about the bill during a live stream video on Monday morning, according to News4Jax, who reported that he designated June as “Responsible Fatherhood Month.”
- The legislation, House Bill 7065, passed in Florida’s state Senate in March unanimously, following a 117-0 unanimous vote.
