For the first time in decades, all child welfare investigations are now handled by the state Department of Children and Families (DCF), starting this week. Previously, there were seven county sheriff's offices that investigated allegations of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment. The rest of the cases across the state were handled by the Department of Children and Families. This local management of child welfare cases began back in the mid-1990s with Manatee County. In 1999, Pasco and Pinellas counties adopted the program. Hillsborough County followed in 2005. The seven counties that were handling local cases until now account for a quarter of Florida's child population. For more: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/all-child-welfare-cases-florida-department-of-children-and-families/67-a99ba4cc-51da-497c-90ef-66b5fea9cdd4 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay