On Friday, Department of Children and Families Secretary Chad Poppell announced his resignation. And, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced both Poppell's replacement and a new appointment in the state's health care administration.
Poppell will be replaced by Shevaun Harris, who had been serving as the acting secretary for the state's Agency for Health Care Administration since this past October, according to the governor's office.
As Harris moves into her new role as DCF secretary, Simone Marstiller has been appointed to take over as secretary of the AHCA. Marstiller has served as the secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice since January 2019.
Poppell's resignation comes several weeks after he admitted to USA Today his department had done "a bad job" preventing child sexual abuse in foster homes.
In October and December 2020, the newspaper released an investigative piece that detailed how a new plan enacted in 2014 by Florida lawmakers made it easier for children to be taken from their parents and put into foster care. However, USA Today said because of a shortage of foster parents, the DCF sent children to live in "unsafe homes where they were physically and sexually abused."
It should be noted Poppell has served as secretary of the DCF for two years, according to reporting from the Tampa Bay Times.
"Thank you for our call this week, as we discussed, it is time for me to step aside and let the next Secretary continue the journey you set for DCF upon coming into office," Poppell wrote in his letter to the governor.
In the letter to Gov. DeSantis, Poppell says his last day will be Feb. 19. You can read his full letter here.
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