Hillsborough Kids Inc. Loses $65 Million Dollar State Contract

David Wilkins, state secretary for the Department of Children & Families, has accepted a committee's recommendation to replace Hillsborough Kids Inc. as the lead agency for child welfare services.

Tuesday, a 10-member group of community members unanimously selected Eckerd Community Alternatives to take HKI's place. Eckerd already is the lead agency for Pinellas and Pasco counties, and has a better track record than HKI on such measures as the number of deaths of children under its care, the cost of care per child and the outcomes of intervention.

Eckerd will continue to work with the same subcontracted agencies used by HKI to allow for continuation of services and for seamless reimbursement for foster families, adoptions and child welfare management.

Deaths of 8 children put Hillsborough Kids Inc. in limbo