Florida Department of Children & Families Still Sucks

More evidence on how poorly run the Department of Children & Families truly is.

The head of Florida's family safety program, in a letter to administrators statewide, acknowledged this week that caseworkers have been failing to keep track of foster kids who are taking anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and other drugs designed to combat mental illness.

Advocates have claimed for years that such drugs -- most of which have never been tested on children -- routinely are used as ''chemical restraints'' to control the behavior of unruly children.

''It is critical that the [computer] database be accurate and up to date to assure that we are able to monitor all children taking these medications,'' wrote Patricia Badland, who heads up the Department of Children & Families' family safety program.

This is the same Department of Children & Families that had 532 children missing from their rolls during the past decade.