Guest Commentary | Florida’s children need help from Congress
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has made protecting children a central priority. “Operation Home for the Holidays” rescued 122 children from abuse and trafficking last November alone.
Rescue is only the beginning. These children depend on a network of victim services that helps them heal and holds abusers accountable. Unless Congress acts soon, a growing funding shortfall could sever many victims’ access to these lifelines.
To prevent that from happening, lawmakers must pass the bipartisan Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act. The measure would provide the funding that victim services need to keep their doors open. And it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a dime.
Holding child predators accountable is one of the most difficult challenges facing law enforcement and prosecutors in Florida. Each year, at least 532,000 American children are sexually or physically abused — and nearly 20,000 of those victims are in Florida. But gathering evidence risks further traumatizing young victims.
Young victims may struggle to explain what happened or be afraid to speak out. Effectively interviewing requires specialized training to ask the right questions, avoid retraumatization, and ensure their accounts can be used in court.
That’s why many cases begin at one of the state’s 26 Children’s Advocacy Centers — safe places where teams of professionals support joint investigations by law enforcement while providing the medical care, counseling, and victim advocacy resources that children and families need to rebuild.
Over 30,000 Florida children get help at these centers each year. They’re especially important as law enforcement agencies face staffing shortages. Roughly 30% of Florida sheriff’s offices can’t meet their staffing needs, leaving fewer resources for child abuse cases. The evidence gathered at Children’s Advocacy Centers often becomes the backbone of cases against offenders.
These centers face an existential threat. Much of their funding comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which collects fines and penalties from individuals and companies convicted of federal crimes. That fund is rapidly depleting. At the end of 2024, it held just over $2 billion — down from more than $13 billion in 2017.
The shrinking fund is forcing Congress to cut support for the services that Florida’s children — and other victims of crime — rely on.
Children’s Advocacy Centers in Florida are stretched thin. Victim advocates statewide carry caseloads twice the national average. Families wait weeks for trauma-focused care. Fifteen Florida counties still lack a Children’s Advocacy Center.
Funding cuts doubled last year, creating a nearly $5 million shortfall. We’re heading for a Category 5 crisis as these cuts compound that will hit Children’s Advocacy Centers, state attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, domestic violence shelters, and human trafficking programs.
Providers could be forced to scale back services, delay care, or turn away families. Some could shut down entirely.
Mental health providers and victim advocates are often the first to go when there are budget cuts - with potential lifelong impacts for kids. The mental health treatments provided at Children’s Advocacy Centers dramatically reduce PTSD symptoms — lowering risks of medical or academic challenges later in life.
The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act would replenish victim services funding by using a portion of the money the federal government recovers from individuals and companies that defraud federal programs.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed it unanimously.
Florida’s senators have an opportunity to ensure that children who have endured abuse receive the care they need — and that those who harm them are held accountable. I urge senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody to co-sponsor the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act.
Luzed Cruz is the executive director of the Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers.