CPP State Policy Feature: Florida

Download one-page summary

“Through CPP in Early Childhood Courts, clinicians support the healing of children and families, which in turn decreases the risk of re-entry into the child welfare system.”
— Florida CPP leader

192 Providers*

82 Agencies*

CPP Champion:
– Mimi Graham

CPP promoted in Florida ECC best practice standards

Medicaid reimburses for direct CPP services

CPP scholarships funded by ZTTTM

Timeline

2002

FSU holds first CPP training with AHCA and local match dollars.

2014

Launch of Early Childhood Courts brings CPP to dependency circuit court systems.

2019

Private foundation funds CPP TTT cohort for four State LC trainers.

2019

Florida Medicaid insurer (Sunshine Health) pilots a bundled CPP rate.

2022

State expands access to CPP services through parents’ Medicaid up to one year postpartum.

2025

Sunshine Health pilots an enhanced rate.

Partnership with
Advocacy Group

Common goals allow pooling of resources and a louder voice

Florida CPP champions work with the FSU Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative to advocate to state policymakers on behalf of young children and their mothers. This alliance amplifies CPP advocacy and improves cross-system collaboration. In 2022, the collaborative successfully lobbied to extend postpartum Medicaid services from six weeks to a full year after birth, removing the burden of diagnosis during infancy.

Diverse Funding Sources

For 20 years, FSU braids funds, seeks sustainability

FSU CPIEP has secured funding for CPP training through a mix of state agency funds (DOH, OSCA, AHCA), Medicaid administrative dollars, national grants (ZTT, HRSA), charitable gifts, and clinician self-pay. Children’s Services Councils sometimes subsidize the cost of training with matching dollars from property tax revenue. Overall, a dedicated funding mechanism is essential to sustain CPP in Florida.

Early Childhood Courts

Therapy integrated into ECC best practice standards

FL’s Early Childhood Courts (ECC) are a partnership among the Office of the State Courts Administrator, FSU, ZERO TO THREE Safe Babies, and other organizations. Guided by best practices that include child-parent therapy, such as CPP, the ECC program has expanded to 32 sites statewide. A Florida TaxWatch fiscal report shows cost savings and clinical benefits of ECC, and an FSU film highlights positive impacts for families.

Learn More
Key Organizations


Florida State University Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy (CPIEP)
Explore the academic center that coordinates CPP training across the state and conducts policy advocacy at all levels of government.

Office of the State Court Administrator (OSCA)
Learn more about Florida’s judicial oversight and coordinating body, which organizes the state’s Early Childhood Courts program.

Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA)
Learn more about Florida’s Medicaid agency, whose administrative matching dollars were crucial to the development of the state’s CPP workforce.

Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative
This statewide platform engages providers and policymakers to improve maternal and early childhood mental health.

Children’s Services Councils (CSC)
Learn more about these county-wide special taxing districts, created by voters and funded by property tax revenue to fund programs that serve children and families.

Key Resources
Integration of Non-Clinical Staff

Early training in CPP included a track for non-clinical staff (such as senior leaders, case workers, and other administrators). This inclusion helped generate a shared vision around concepts of attachment and trauma, as well as an in-depth understanding of the requirements for CPP training and treatment.

Support from ZERO TO THREE™

Early support from the national non-profit ZERO TO THREE™ (ZTT) provided a springboard for CPP’s dissemination in Florida. Successive ZTT Fellows from Florida created and implemented a statewide strategic plan for infant and early childhood mental health. Conferences provided exposure to best practices and innovative interventions, including CPP. National ZTT leaders provided policy mentorship and direct advocacy, amplifying the voices of state CPP leaders. Finally, ZTT has helped finance CPP training, with funds flowing through the Office of the State Court Administrator.

Additional Challenges to Sustainability
  • Lack of a consistent, sustainable source of statewide funding for CPP training and treatment.
  • Lack of funding horizon to allow participants to complete foundational IECMH training before beginning a CPP Learning Collaborative.
Future CPP Sustainability Considerations
  • Secure a dedicated funding mechanism for statewide CPP dissemination and sustainability.
  • Explore alternative funding opportunities (such as opioid settlement dollars).
  • Scale up the Early Childhood Courts program to meet the needs of all children in state custody.
  • Expand the enhanced rate pilot program from Sunshine Health across the state.

*Numbers reflect individual providers and agencies named on the CPP Provider Roster as of January 2026.

The content of this document is intended for informational use only. If you are interested in becoming involved with CPP policy advocacy in your state, please fill out this survey.

The CPP Dissemination Team would like to thank Mimi Graham, Heidy Garcia, Kristie Skoglund, Sharon Ross-Donaldson, and Valerie Dallas for providing context into CPP sustainability in Florida.