On behalf of Eckerd, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve Hillsborough’s most vulnerable children and their families, and ask for your continued support in helping give them much-needed second chances! We have begun a six-month transition of community-based child welfare services in Hillsborough County and will officially become the new Circuit 13 Community-Based Care Lead Agency on July 1.
Commitment to Safety, Quality,
Accountability and Transparency
Eckerd believes that the child protection system should be a resource for families – not a substitute for them – and that healthy, capable children come from healthy, capable families. Everything we do at Eckerd is based on the belief that the children, families and communities we serve always come first – and we embrace four main child welfare principles of Safety, Quality, Accountability, and Transparency. It is our tireless commitment, passion, and systemic approach to each of these that sets us apart and gives us the best opportunity for quality outcomes for children and families.
Our commitment is to make this transition safe and seamless with minimal disruption of services to Hillsborough children, families, and caregivers. We are working diligently to engage the community at every level to assess what’s working, what’s not working, and what can be done better. And while Eckerd’s child welfare experience managing large systems of care prepares us well for this transition, every community brings its unique strengths and opportunities. We look forward to further engaging and partnering with the community to help us build a strong, safe system of care that is truly “community-based”.
We are launching a Quality, Safety, and Improvement (QSI) Task Force that will take on the task of reviewing 100% of active Hillsborough child welfare cases. We believe this process will give us great insight into innovations that are unique to Hillsborough County, as well as identify quality and compliance issues impacting the risk level of children being served.
Commitment to Open and Transparent Communication
Finally, we are committed to keeping the lines of communication open and transparent throughout the transition and beyond. We invite you to visit our website frequently for transition updates and to view our calendar of events featuring community forums and other public meetings. We also encourage you to contact us with questions, feedback or suggestions, and invite you to join our mailing list to stay connected and informed.
We thank you for your continued support and are excited to continue Jack and Ruth Eckerd’s legacy in Hillsborough County, as we move forward together to ensure every child and family has the opportunity to succeed!
Click here to learn more about Eckerd, our child welfare philosophy, transition initiatives, and more!
