(1) There is established within the department the Child Protection and Child Welfare Personnel Tuition Exemption Program for the purpose of recruiting and retaining high-performing individuals who are employed as child protection and child welfare personnel. For purposes of this section, “child protection and child welfare personnel” includes child protective investigators and child protective investigation supervisors employed by the department and case managers and case manager supervisors employed by a community-based care lead agency or a subcontractor of a community-based care lead agency who do not possess a master’s degree in social work.

(2) Child protection and child welfare personnel who meet the requirements specified in subsection (3) are exempt from the payment of tuition and fees at a state university.

(3) The department may approve child protection and child welfare personnel for the tuition and fee exemption if such personnel:

(a) Are employed as child protection and child welfare personnel and are determined by their employers to perform at a high level as established by their personnel evaluations; and

(b) Are accepted in a graduate-level social work program or a certificate program related to child welfare which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

(4) Child protection and child welfare personnel who meet the requirements specified in subsection (3) may enroll for up to 6 credit hours of courses per term.

(5) Child protection and child welfare personnel who are accepted into a graduate-level social work program or a certificate program related to child welfare which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education shall take courses associated with the degree or certificate program online if such courses are offered online.

(6) All child protection and child welfare personnel who participate in the tuition exemption program established under this section must remain employed by the department, a state agency, or a contracted provider for 5 years after completion of a graduate level social work program. If employment ends before the 5-year period, the benefit shall be repaid according to a pro rata calculation based on the number of years of service.

History.—s. 24, ch. 2014-224.