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Archive for February, 2012

Why Is Florida Department of Children and Families Pushing to Return Wandering Boy, 9, to Family He ‘Fears’?

February 29th, 2012   No Comments   Advocacy, Court Cases

It’s a puzzling case: The Florida Department of Children and Families is pushing to return to his family a 9-year-old boy found wandering the streets of North Miami Beach naked and hungry. The boy has told doctors he fears his home. A judge, who said in court the boy looked like a concentration camp survivor, ordered the release of hundreds of pages of state documents – and then questioned the state’s intention to return him to his family.

It’s a complicated case. State child welfare administrators describe the parents – Edward Bailey and Marsee Strong – as loving parents who deserve to get their children back after the kids’ brief stay in foster care.

Administrators also urged prosecutors to seek the couple’s release from jail, telling Miami Judge Cindy Lederman that the couple had not harmed their children. Yet, the boy has told his doctors he’s afraid to go home.

There should be no rush to return this boy to his family until the truth comes out. Read the entire story here.

Florida’s Children First – State’s Premier Child Advocacy Organization – to Honor Broward County Bar Presidents, Advocates and Former Foster Children on March 22

February 24th, 2012   No Comments   Advocacy, News & Events

Florida’s Children First (FCF), the statewide legal advocacy organization focused on protecting the legal rights of at-risk and foster care children, will recognize and honor supporters of The Tracey McPharlin Pro Bono Dependency Recruitment Initiative at FCF’s 10th annual Broward awards reception. The event will be held Thursday, March 22, 2012, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale.

FCF Executive Director Christina Spudeas, along with FCF President and Fort Lauderdale children’s rights attorney Howard Talenfeld, will lead the event. It is expected to draw more than 300 child advocates, elected officials, judges and community and business leaders. Kristi Krueger, WPLG Local 10 Anchor, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

The evening will recognize and honor supporters of The Tracey McPharlin Pro Bono Dependency Recruitment Initiative, named in honor of the long-time child advocate attorney who passed away in 2010. The event also will recognize this year’s Broward Child Advocate honorees, including Broward County Bar Association past president Bruce Weihe; Broward County Bar Association President Jordana Goldstein; and Tracey McPharlin Pro Bono Dependency Recruitment Project Director David Bazerman.

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Attorney Asks: Were Mistakes Made By Florida Department Children & Families As Father Kills, Injures Family?

February 23rd, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Department of Children & Families (DCF)

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – He’s a monster; that’s what one of William DeJesus sons called him, says CBS Miami. DeJesus is accused of stabbing his wife and his two young sons inside a Deerfield Beach RV, leaving his autistic 9-year-old dead. Neighbors said he also killed the man who lives here, then took his own life. It’s a violent end, to what DCF records show, was a horrific life for his children – including allegations of sexual abuse.

All of this infuriating to child advocates. “Unfortuatenly,” said attorney Howard Talenfeld, head of Florida’s Children First, “notwithstanding any of these red flags and concerns, the decision was made to return these children into harm’s way back to their parents.”

Watch the video below.

Florida Department of Children & Families & The Legacy of Nubia Barahona: When Warning Signs Must Be Taken Seriously

February 17th, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Department of Children & Families (DCF)

By Gloria W. Fletcher, Esq.

The South Florida murder case of Nubia Barahona had warning signs all over it. School teachers reported a thin, hungry child with a sickly appearance and who hoarded food. Social workers noted how the family rarely let them see Nubia and her twin brother, Victor.

In the end, Nubia was killed, her brother allegedly tortured – and both became the subjects of reports by commissions and blue ribbon committees. Their adoptive parents, Jorge and Carmen Barahona, stand accused of the horrific crimes.

The lessons made clear from the reports and committees and commissions: Warning signs were overlooked and opportunities were lost to save these two children.

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Valentines Day One Year Later: Questions, Concerns Remain In Death of Nubia Barahona

February 14th, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Court Cases

Exactly one year from the date that Nubia Barahona was found dead – and her twin brother, Victor, was found in serious condition doused in toxic liquids – their adoptive parents Jorge and Carmen Barahona may find out if they will be in the same courtroom when they face murder charges. And child abuse, foster care and guardian advocates and attorneys are still wondering whether the Florida Department of Children and Families and the community-based care providers paid hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure kids are safe are doing enough to ensure just that.

In the video below, child advocate attorney Howard Talenfeld tells NBC 6 in Miami that the system remains woefully unprepared to handle the vital tasks at hand.

View more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com.

Florida Child Advocates, Guardians, Attorneys Demand ‘No More Nubias’

February 13th, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Damage Claims

In an editorial this weekend, the Miami Herald proclaimed, “No More Nubias.” The editorial board – like foster child advocates, guardians and attorneys who strive to protect children from child abuse, damages, personal injury and other heinous crimes – called for tougher child-protection laws being made the priority. It’s too late for Nubia Barahona, the 10-year-old child allegedly killed by her adoptive parents. But maybe her death was a wake-up call for the system.

The Herald wrote, “If state lawmakers really want to prevent any other child in the state from meeting Nubia Barahona’s tragic fate, then they will do everything possible to toughen child-welfare laws before attaching her name to them in her honor. So far, it’s been a mixed bag, legislatively speaking. Some proposals bring a dose of accountability and common sense to make the system better. Others, however, show that some lawmakers need to get real.”

Read the entire editorial here.

Florida Foster Kids Who ‘Age Out’ Face a Tough World Ill-Prepared for What’s Next

February 12th, 2012   No Comments   Aging Out

America’s children-turned-adults present a stark dichotomy of “independence.” Many adult children well into their 20s, even their 30s, still are financially dependent on their parents. They’re called the “boomerang generation.” Can you blame the parents for taking them back? The economy remains weak. Jobs are scarce. And no matter how well educated they are, these kids still have few options.

Now, imagine being a foster child – with scant education, few business or money-management skills, and forced to “age out” and face the world alone with no “parents” in the traditional sense to fall back on. While boomerangers often stay home into their late 20s or even 30s, foster kids are required by Florida law to become “independent” at 23.

That could change.

According to the Miami Herald, “the budget bill passed in the Florida House of Representatives lowers the age when the state’s foster children, even those still in school, are cut loose. Support for former foster care students would end at 21, instead of 23.

“The Road to Independence Act, passed back in a more enlightened 2002, recognized that children aging out of Florida’s often overwhelmed, sometimes negligent foster care system were hardly ready to face the world alone.”

Read the entire story here.

Child Rights Attorney: Barahona Audio Statement Reveals Horrors of Child Abuse, Torture

February 6th, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Court Cases

Tied together in the family bathtub, Victor Barahona and his sister, Nubia, were denied food, doused with water or bleach, neglected and subjected to horrible child abuse, personal injury and damages that eventually – for Nubia – allegedly led to death, according to police and prosecutors.

Now, the horrors are being revealed in graphic detail. On Monday, Miami-Dade prosecutors released caretaker Katia Garcia’s audio-recorded statement, in which she shared with investigators Victor’s heartfelt and shocking account of the twins’ treatment at the hands of their adopted father, the Miami Herald reported.

“Garcia recalled Victor’s attention to detail in sharing memories of his own abuse. But when it came to his slain sister, the boy was beset with agony,” the paper reported.

“He stutters when he talks. He can’t finish his sentences,” Garcia said in the recorded statement. “He has nervous twitches with his eyes. He had one with his mouth. He doesn’t want to talk about what his sister went through.”

Read the entire story here.

Justice Delayed: After 15 Years, Mom Charged With Child Abuse

February 4th, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Court Cases

Fifteen years after allegedly inflicting a horrible beating on her 3-year-old daughter, a South Florida woman is facing justice for the personal injury, harm and damages she caused the child. As advocates and child abuse lawyers closely watch the case, she faces aggravated child abuse, according to Broward court records as reported in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The woman, Raquel Knowles, 38, fled the hospital emergency room where she’d taken her daughter with serious injuries in 1997. She reportedly then flew to Jamaica, where she remained until 2009.

The child – now an adult – had bruises to her chest, back, buttocks, upper legs, arms and earlobes, the Sun-Sentinel reported. “The child had great bodily harm,” Judge John Hurley said. “[She had] permanent disfigurement due to surgical scarring when they had to sew up your daughter from the internal injuries after they did surgery.”

Read the entire story here.

Ninth Vulnerable Child Dies Under Watch of Hillsborough Kids

February 3rd, 2012   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy

In January, child advocates, guardians, child welfare attorneys and others watched as the Florida Department of Children and Families pulled its $65.5 million contract from community based care provider Hillsboro Kids, in part because eight children had died under its supervision in two years. Add one more to the list.

Young child Gabrielle Crawford, born with multiple birth defects, died in December while under the care of his mother – who’d already had four children taken from her. Though he was never expected to live past 2 – he was was 8 months old at the time of his death – Gabrielle had broken bones and a bruise on his face.

“On Thursday, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office called Gabrielle a homicide victim,” wrote the Tampa Bay Times. “The state Department of Children and Families called his death another example of the failure of Hillsborough child protectors to avert a tragedy unfolding before their eyes.

“No other region in the state has a child death rate as high,” the Times wrote. The nine deaths, said Mike Carroll, DCF’s Suncoast regional director, ‘were the driving force to change lead agencies.’ He said DCF and (new CBC) Eckerd would immediately began reviewing ‘every single child’ under supervision in Hillsborough County, about 2,500 children.”

  • Child Advocacy News

    - Las Vegas, Nevada - May 5, 2012 - National Center for Youth Law Wins Major Victory for Las Vegas Foster Children The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) has won a major victory on behalf of foster children in Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned a lower court's dismissal of the foster care reform case brought by NCYL on behalf of Clark County's abused and neglected children. The Appeals Court ruled that these children have a constitutional right to safety and adequate medical care. The Court also said that the county, and county and state officials, are liable if they fail to ensure that those constitutional rights are protected.

    - Tallahassee, Florida – May 5, 2012 - Florida DCF Blog, Social Media to Share Families’ Stories Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) is sharing the stories of families across the state with a new blog and Facebook page. Words from adoptive mother and TV personality Kim Parrish will be one of the first post on the blog. New media also will have custom tabs featuring DCF resources, such as how to apply for benefits and report abuse to the state hotline, that can be automatically installed on any Facebook business page.

    - News-Press – Tallahassee, Florida – May 7, 2012 - Florida Department of Children and Families to Use Report-Card System to Monitor Foster Kids Florida DCF is taking steps to reduce the number of youth in foster care who wind up without an education by requiring report cards – not on how the kids are doing in history and English, but on whether they're in a stable situation that enhances their.

    - News-Press – Fort Myers, Florida – May 5, 2012 - Parents Addicted to Pills Leave Kids on DCF Radar Pills are a scourge to Florida kids. The number of children under DCF supervision is at its highest in two years despite a push to keep families out of the system. Prescription painkillers are largely to blame, said child welfare leaders. They have seen addictions to drugs like oxycodone deepen in the past year and numb many residents’ ability to be watchful, nurturing parents. Parents are relapsing and spending money on drugs instead of food and clothes for their children.

    - Tallahassee, Florida – May 1, 2012 - Florida DCF celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month Listen to a happy song to release stress. Replace your snack food with healthy “brain” food. Do a crossword puzzle to improve critical thinking. These tips and more are part of the Florida Department of Children and Families celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Starting May 1, events around the state will help bring awareness to a healthy mind and body and to positive outcomes for those with mental illnesses.

    - St. Augustine Record – St. Augustine, Florida – April 13, 2012 - Man Facing Child Sex Charges Ruled Incompetent A man accused of sex crimes against two children won’t go to trial, at least not in the near future. David Lavern Stratton Jr., 36, was placed into the care of the Department of Children and Families on Thursday after a mental health evaluation found him incompetent to stand trial.

    - Naked Politics / Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – March 29, 2012 - Scott Expands Role of DCF Secretary to be Head of 'State Operations' As if being head of the Department of Children and Families weren't enough, Gov. Rick Scott today appointed David Wilkins to a new role as Florida’s Chief Operating Officer for Government Operations. According to a statement from the governor's office, Wilkins "will serve in this role in addition to his role as Secretary of the Department of Children and Families.''

    - News Press – Fort Myers, Florida – March 27, 2012 - DCF was Investigating Family of Slain North Fort Myers Infant At the time an 8-week-old baby was allegedly killed by her father in their North Fort Myers home, the state Department of Children and Families was already investigating the family.

    - Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – March 7, 2012 - Judge Ends Visits Between Alleged Molester and Daughter, 4 A teenage foster kid at a child welfare office saw in chilling detail what a state social worker did not: A father, during a supervised visit with his daughter, wrapping his hands around the 4-year-old’s neck as he pushed her face toward his groin. “That’s when [the 4-year-old] screamed,” the foster child told an investigator.

    - Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – March 3, 2012 - Wife of ‘Monster’ Dad Jailed in Son’s Stabbing Death A mom whose sons were returned to her and her husband despite reports they were abused was charged in the killing of one of the boys.

    - Miami Herald – North Miami Beach, Florida – March 2, 2012 (WSVN) - Florida DCF Releases Documents in Child Neglect Case Child welfare officials released hundreds of pages of documents involving the case of a boy who was found wandering the streets, naked and starving. The Department of Children and Families released over 700 pages on Thursday that drew few, if any, conclusions as to why a 9-year-old boy was found malnourished and bruised in the street in January.

    - Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – December 30, 2011 - Barahona Judge’s Efforts to Ferret Out Leaks Detailed Court records released to The Herald document a judge’s efforts to identify lawyers or child welfare administrators she suspected of leaking secret material to the newspaper.

    - Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – December 17, 2011 - South Florida Charter Schools Admit Few Special Needs Children From South Dade to the northern reaches of Broward County, only a handful of students with profound disabilities make it into charter schools, according to a Miami Herald / State Impact Florida analysis of student enrollment data. The trend holds true across the state, where 87 percent of charter schools don’t serve any students with the most intense support needs.

    - Associated Press – State College, Pennsylvania – December 16, 2011 - Penn. Deputy Attorney General Cites PSU 'Inaction' A graduate student waited a day after allegedly seeing a child being sexually assaulted on Penn State's campus before telling his supervisor, football coach Joe Paterno. Paterno waited another day before calling the university's athletic director, who looped in a school vice president. "I think it's a sad, sad, sad day, when you think about all of these victims, and you saw the inaction by a number of supposedly important, responsible adults. And there's a lot of inaction in this case," Marc Costanzo, a senior deputy attorney general, said after the preliminary hearing.

    - USAToday – State College, Pennsylvania – December 13, 2011 - Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky Waives Right to Hearing, Will Face Accusers Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky waived his right to a preliminary hearing today, sending the case directly to trial at a later date.

    - Palm Beach Post – Miami, Florida – December 9, 2011 - Barahona Records: Neighbor Says Jorge Barahona Was 'Super Paranoid' Jorge Barahona was given to paranoia and fears of conspiracies around him that he expressed to a neighbor, according to investigative materials released this week by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office, fears that may have led him to murder his adopted daughter and almost kill her brother, Victor.

    - The Miami Herald – Miami, Florida – December 9, 2011 - Pleas by Nubia Barahona’s Family Went Unheeded — Until It Was Too Late Relatives of Nubia and Victor Barahona were convinced that the children were being abused by their adoptive father. But they couldn’t get anyone to listen. Nubia Barahona, 10, was found dead in the back of her adoptive father's pickup truck in Broward on Valentines Day.

    - Associated Press – State College, Pennsylvania – December 8, 2011 - Ex-Penn State Coach Sandusky Jailed on New Child Sex Abuse Charges Based on 2 New Accusers Former Penn State University assistant coach Jerry Sandusky spent Wednesday night behind bars after new child sex abuse charges were filed against him based on the claims of two new accusers, including one who says he screamed in vain for help while Sandusky attacked him in a basement bedroom.

    - Gainesville.com – Plant City, Florida – Mentally Disabled Man Forced to Stand on Ant Hill A 21-year-old worker at a group home was arrested, and the facility where he worked was later shut down after authorities said he forced a mentally disabled man to stand barefoot on fire ant hills as punishment for stealing money. Florida MENTOR's Ike Smith Group Home's license has been suspended. Florida MENTOR continues to operate other facilities throughout the state. The Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities are investigating.

    - Orlando Sentinel – Orlando, Florida – December 3, 2011 - Orlando Mom Was Foster Parent to Hundreds of Kids Dorothy Pearl Johnson didn't have children of her own. However, as a foster parent for four decades, she mothered about 400 children. Johnson, 87, continued to nurture children until a few months ago, when her failing health forced her to stop. After battling leukemia, she died on Tuesday in the home on Trentonian Court where she had cared for hundreds of children as if they were her own.

    - New York Times – New York – November 22, 2011 - Drugs Used for Psychotics Go to Youths in Foster Care Foster children are being prescribed cocktails of powerful antipsychosis drugs just as frequently as some of the most mentally disabled youngsters on Medicaid, a new study suggests.

    - USAToday – State College, Pennsylvania – November 16, 2011 - Penn State Case Presses Others to Tighten Abuse Laws Lawmakers and university officials across the USA are moving quickly to tighten up rules on who must report sexual abuse on campus in the wake of the Penn State scandal.

    Reuters – State College, Pennsylvania – November 13, 2011 - A Long History in Penn State Child Abuse Case It will not be so easy to wipe out the stain on Penn State's reputation from the alleged abuse and what critics see as a cover-up by university officials who were told that Sandusky was seen raping a young boy in a shower in 2002. The case has drawn comparisons to the child abuse scandals that rocked the Catholic Church, whose top officials are also accused of covering up child abuse over decades.

    Forbes – State College, Pennsylvania – November 11, 2011 - Conrad Murray, Penn State and Why the Powerful Enable Evil After Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, the blogosphere, rightly, called him an enabler in a long line of celebrity enablers. Allegations that Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky raped a pre-teen boy in the college shower seem less shocking than the nauseating cover-up that follows.

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