Children and families client and management information system.

(1) The Department of Children and Families shall establish a children and families client and management information system which shall provide information concerning children served by the children and families programs.

(2) The children and families client and management information system shall provide, at a minimum, an integrated service delivery information system to implement comprehensive screening, uniform assessment, case planning, monitoring, resource matching, and outcome evaluations for all of the following program services categories and related program components as defined in s. 20.19 and chapter 39:

(a) Child welfare and prevention and diversion services.

(b) Child care services.

(3) The system shall be designed to promote efficient and effective use of resources and accountability designed to provide the most appropriate, least restrictive services for all clients in the children and families programs. It shall contain, at a minimum, that information deemed to be essential for ongoing administration of service delivery and outcome evaluation systems, as well as for the purpose of management decisions.

(4) The system shall be operated in such a manner as to facilitate the service delivery goals of the children receiving the children and families programs and services.

(5) The Department of Children and Families shall employ accepted current system development methodology to determine the appropriate design and contents of the system, as well as the most rapid feasible implementation schedule as outlined in the information resources management operational plan of the Department of Children and Families.

(6) The Department of Children and Families shall aggregate, on a quarterly and an annual basis, the information and statistical data of the children and families client and management information system into a descriptive report and shall disseminate the quarterly and annual reports to interested parties, including substantive committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

(7) Whenever feasible, the system shall have online computers and shall be available for data entry and retrieval at the unit level of organization by program component counselors.

(8) Children and families program staff responsible for services shall be trained in the use of the system.

(9) The Department of Children and Families shall provide an annual report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In developing the system, the Department of Children and Families shall consider and report on the availability of, and the costs associated with using, existing software and systems, including, but not limited to, those that are operational in other states, to meet the requirements of this section. The department shall also consider and report on the compatibility of such existing software and systems with an integrated management information system. The report shall be submitted no later than December 1 of each year.