As mayor of Jacksonville, I will take bold and compassionate action to reduce the number of children being removed from their homes every week by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). While protecting children is paramount, we must also recognize that many removals are symptoms of deeper, solvable issues like poverty, addiction, and mental health challenges. I believe our city can do better. Together, we will build a system that supports families — not just supervises them.
1. Families First Task Force
I will create a city-led Families First Task Force, bringing together:
- DCF leadership
- Local nonprofits and social service providers
- Faith-based organizations
- Family law professionals and advocates
- Community leaders and lived-experience voices
The task force will meet monthly to:
- Identify and address systemic gaps
- Develop intervention strategies that prioritize family unity
- Ensure transparency and accountability in child welfare outcomes
2. Jacksonville Family Stability Fund
I will establish a Family Stability Fund to prevent child removals caused by financial hardship. This fund will provide emergency assistance for:
- Rent and utility payments
- Food insecurity
- Temporary unemployment
- Transportation barriers
Through a simple application process and referral system from DCF and partner organizations, we will provide families with the support they need before crisis turns into separation.
3. Community-Based Family Support Centers
As mayor, I will expand Family Support Centers in high-need neighborhoods across Jacksonville. These centers will offer:
- Parenting classes and family counseling
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Employment and housing resources
- Safe visitation spaces for families involved with DCF
These centers will operate in partnership with local churches, nonprofits, and community leaders — serving as trusted hubs of hope, not bureaucracy.
4. DCF Reform and Collaboration
I will lead a local reform agenda in collaboration with DCF that includes:
- Embedding city-funded family advocates in the DCF case process
- Creating data-sharing agreements to allow early intervention by city services
- Advocating at the state level for clearer, trauma-informed guidelines around child removal
- Requiring public reporting of DCF removals, timelines, and outcomes in Jacksonville
5. Safe, Loving Alternatives to Removal
When removal is necessary for safety, I will support:
- Expanded kinship care programs to keep children with trusted relatives
- Recruitment and retention of diverse, trauma-informed foster families
- Wrap-around support for foster parents including mental health services, respite care, and financial support
6. Reunification and Restoration
As mayor, I will make family reunification a top priority by:
- Funding reunification programs that include parent coaching, addiction recovery, and legal aid
- Creating city-supported supervised visitation centers
- Partnering with successful parents to mentor others going through the process
7. Annual Report on Family Resilience
We will measure success not just by the number of children in the system, but by:
- How many families are stabilized
- How many children remain safely at home
- How many reunifications are achieved
I will publish an Annual Mayor’s Report on Family Resilience to track our city’s progress and ensure continuous improvement.
Because Family is the Foundation of Jacksonville
As mayor, I will stand for policies that heal, not harm. We can protect children without tearing families apart. We can address root causes, offer real help, and restore hope — one family at a time.
This is how we build a stronger, safer, and more compassionate Jacksonville. Together.
#JaxStrong