When a child in our care runs, there are many high-risk factors impacting the child’s safety and well-being. Our job is to protect the children we serve as best we can. It is critical to comply with Florida Administrative Code (FAC) which requires the Child Welfare Professional to complete an interview (a runaway debrief) with the child within 24 hours of the child’s return. This includes evenings, weekends, and holidays for on-call workers. When a child is recovered, time is of the essence in gathering information to help better assess the child’s needs and possible placement options. 

Child Welfare Professionals use the Runaway Debriefing Form to document the interview with the child. FAC also requires a photo be taken every time a child is recovered from a run episode and uploaded into FSFN.  

The information gathered from the debriefing interview is used to determine high risk behaviors, evaluate child needs, identify further services, assess safety and well-being, find potential placements and/or assess the need for a change in placement. Child Welfare Professionals must complete the Runaway Debriefing Form while interviewing the child – the child is not to complete the form on their own. The debriefing is meant to be a process of in-depth communication with the child to let the child know we care, help the child feel safe, know we are listening to him/her, and to hear about what the child’s wants and needs are. It is not meant to be a question-and-answer type interview but more of a conversation with the child.

If the child has medical or other urgent needs, the Child Welfare Professional must schedule appointments immediately, prior to leaving the child. The Child Welfare Professional and the child need to develop an action plan in collaboration to help prevent the child from running again and for the child to be available to attend any appointments.

Identify and take immediate action if the child reports injury, substance exposure, sexual activity, or exploitation while on runaway status, including necessary medical care, reporting, and referrals.

Debriefing forms are reviewed by the Quality Assurance Specialist, Missing Child POC at SCC for timeliness, critical information, and trends. Runaway Debriefing Forms are tracked and used to determine areas we can improve systemically, statewide, as well as possible ways to better serve the individual child. It is especially important to gather this information with frequent runners. It is critical that all items within the form are thoroughly completed to ensure that we have a better picture of how to assist each child and keep them safe.

Most of the time children run to feel like they have control in their lives and to be with friends. If we are able to work in cooperation with the child, we can assess the child’s friends, when possible, to be cleared for overnight contacts. Collaborating with the child helps us provide normalcy for the child.

Taking extra time to show we care and having discussions with the child about the factors that caused the run will assist in the debriefing interview and allow us to better serve the child. When possible, the Child Welfare Professional should complete the Runaway Debriefing Form after the interview, so the child has their undivided attention during the conversation. Afterwards, the Child Welfare Professional should review what was written on the Runaway Debriefing Form with the child to verify accuracy and obtain the child’s signature.

Debriefing with the child is critical as it helps assess potential exploitation or trafficking risks, especially for frequent runner.