Miami, FL – November 28, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Three chains sold 19 products, including sleepers in baby deaths, after recalls Ivanka Trump scarves, beer mugs, three infant sleepers linked to deaths, and 14 other items that were recalled by their companies continued to be sold by T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods.
Kennesaw, GA – November 27, 2019 – The Marietta Daily Journal- Cobb woman awarded $50 million in lawsuit against nonprofit A $50 million payment has been awarded to a Cobb County woman who was sexually assaulted by a male adult while she was a 15-year-old patient at a Kennesaw facility for troubled youth.
New Orleans, LA – November 25, 2019 – The Washington Post- One judge’s tough approach to foster care: It’s only for the really extreme cases Juvenile Court Judge Ernestine S. Gray gives each child who appears before her a bear and a book. She believes it makes what can be the worst day of their lives just a little easier.
Jacksonville, FL – November 15, 2019 – First Coast News- Attorney: Child abuse, neglect calls go under-reported in Florida Even though reporting suspected child abuse and neglect is mandatory for adults under Florida law, too often do those calls go under-reported.
Miami, FL – November 11, 2019 – WSVN 7 News Law enforcement agencies create Miami-based hotline to combat sex trafficking Super Bowl 54 is around the corner, and law enforcement agencies have collaborated to create a new hotline as part of a campaign to stop sex trafficking in South Florida.
New York, NY – November 9, 2019 – The New York Times Child Abusers Run Rampant as Tech Companies Look the Other Way Though platforms bar child sexual abuse imagery on the web, criminals are exploiting gaps. Victims are caught in a living nightmare, confronting images again and again.
Tallahassee, FL – November 6, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Proposed DCF changes could divert millions from South Florida or send kids here for care Miami-Dade and Monroe counties could lose about $11.5 million in funding for their child welfare system in the next few years, under changes that are being weighed by the state Department of Children and Families.
Tallahassee, FL – November 5, 2019 – The Daily Business Review- Florida Wants Rehearing in ADA ‘Medically Fragile’ Kids Case Florida is asking a full federal appeals court to take up a dispute about whether the U.S. Department of Justice can pursue a lawsuit against the state over alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a case stemming from concerns about “medically fragile” children being placed in nursing homes.
Bunnell, FL – November 3, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Florida parents arrested, accused of leaving children in filth Two parents were arrested after their 14-year-old daughter called an abuse hotline to report she and her four younger siblings were living in filth, and she was being forced to be a full-time caregiver to the young children.
Tampa, FL – October 30, 2019 – WFLA News Channel 8- DCF’s Tampa Bay region has the highest staff turnover in the state, new report says Tampa Bay is seeing significant turnover in its child welfare investigators and staff, according to a new report from the Florida Department of Children and Families Office of Child Welfare.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – October 28, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 Another victim accuses janitor of molesting him in middle school Another teen took the stand on Monday and described to jurors an incident in which he said a former coach and middle school janitor molested him when he was a student at Coral Springs Middle School.
North Miami, FL – October 24, 2019 – The Miami Herald- First he was shot at by police. Now he is being evicted from his group home. Arnaldo Rios-Soto has been involuntarily committed, handcuffed, forcibly restrained, tranquilized, and shot at by police.
Houston, TX – October 18, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Teen commits suicide after rescue from sex trafficking ring A family is in mourning after their teen daughter committed suicide after she was rescued from a sex trafficking ring.
Miami-Dade County, FL – October 17, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Alleged abusive adoptive mother listed as registered nurse The adoptive mother accused of abusing three girls, one of them dying while in her care, is still listed as a registered nurse in Florida and also has a for-profit corporation with the state Total Excellent Care Corp.
Miami-Dade County, FL – October 16, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Police say Miami foster mother abused children, causing one girl to die A foster mother is facing charges after three girls, ranging in ages from 6 to 12 years old, were continuously abused in what Miami-Dade police and the Department of Children and Families say is one of the most horrifying cases of abuse they have seen.
Brevard County, FL – October 3, 2019 – Florida Record- How new human trafficking legislation will affect Brevard’s hotels and hospitality workers Florida is one of the states most associated with human trafficking in the country, but Brevard County has not seen many arrests for that crime.
Pinellas County, FL – September 21, 2019 – NBC News- Florida man with Down syndrome dies in hot car after caregiver takes drug, falls asleep A man with Down syndrome who police said was nonverbal and had the cognitive ability of a 1-year-old died in a hot van while his caregiver slept in the driver’s seat after taking drugs, authorities in Florida said.
Jacksonville, FL – September 20, 2019 – WJCT- Florida Leaders Want Schools To Teach How To Spot, Stop Human Trafficking Florida leaders at the state and federal level are hoping to prevent human trafficking through education.
Lauderhill, FL – September 20, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Woman accused of leaving daughter, 3, in car while she worked at strip club A 23-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday morning after leaving her 3-year-old daughter alone in a car for about three hours while she worked at a strip club in Lauderhill, authorities said.
Davie, FL – September 19, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Detectives search for teenage girl allegedly held hostage by man Destiny Rose was tied to a chair with a rope wrapped around her neck, Rose’s aunt Shanna Champion told police officers on Wednesday.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – September 7, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Day care worker charged in hot van death of 2-year-old released from jail on bond A day care worker facing charges for the death of a 2-year-old boy who was left in a hot van bonded out of jail early Saturday morning.
North Lauderdale, FL – September 6, 2019 – WPLG Local 10 News- Man arrested in connection with deaths of 2 boys who drowned in pool A Tamarac man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the deaths of two boys who drowned in a community pool, deputies said.
Broward County, FL – September 4, 2019 – The Miami Herald- A kid in Broward’s jail had a history of suicidal thoughts. How was he able to hang himself? A kid in Broward’s jail had a history of suicidal thoughts. How was he able to hang himself?
Pineville, NC – August 30, 2019 – WSOC TV- 12-month-old boy who died in hot car was in foster care, police say A 12-month-old boy died Thursday after his foster mother left him in a hot car for hours while she was at work, police said.
Mount Dora, FL – August 27, 2019 – NBC News- Shocking video shows alleged attack on mentally disabled woman by group home staff Surveillance video shows four caretakers in a Florida group home involved in the alleged abuse of a mentally disabled woman who was pushed, shoved and had her head stepped on.
Rochester, NY – August 14, 2019 – USA Today- Hundreds of child sex abuse claims filed on first day of New York’s Child Victims Act Thousands of New Yorkers who were molested or sexually abused as children have been waiting for years – in many cases, for decades – for their day in court.
New York, NY – August 14, 2019 – CNN- abuse lawsuits The New York State Court system is expecting so many lawsuits as part of a new child sex abuse law that 45 judges have been set aside to deal exclusively with them, spokesman Lucian Chalfen said.
New York, NY – August 13, 2019 – The New York Times- He Says a Priest Abused Him. 50 Years Later, He Can Now Sue. A new law has created a “look-back window,” during which claims that had passed the statute of limitations can be revived.
Los Angeles, CA – August 9, 2019 – The Los Angeles Times- I was born into foster care. A mentor would have made a big difference in my life I was born into foster care. My mother was in prison when she was raped and became pregnant with me. Like many mothers who must surrender their children to foster care because of addiction, disability, mental illness or incarceration, she was not allowed to keep me.
Oakland Park, FL – August 7, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Daycare hit with slew of violations after death of 2-year-old in sweltering van The driver of the daycare van in which 2-year-old Noah Sneed died after being left for five hours in the sweltering heat didn’t follow protocols when she turned off a safety alarm before letting the children out of the vehicle, a recently released report shows.
As Governor Signs Bills, Legislative Session Proves Good to Florida’s Medically Needy, Dependent Children
It was an especially successful legislative session for at-risk, medically needy and other foster care children throughout Florida. After passing the Legislature with bi-partisan support, two bills were signed into law this week by Governor Rick Scott ensuring Florida’s most vulnerable children have the best care from the Department of Children and Families, and skilled legal representation when in the dependency system.
The first bill was an overhaul of DCF’s child welfare process. The second bill “could begin to give voice to children long rendered voiceless,” the Miami Herald wrote. Howard Talenfeld, a leading child advocacy attorney and foster care damages lawyer and supporter of the new laws, had said this has been a long road.
“It’s been our mission since 2002 to enact a law like this because disabled children are the most vulnerable children to come into our child welfare system. Unfortunately, they have to face a maze of bureaucratic hurdles in order to obtain the benefits they need to be safe and to survive in the foster care system,” the Herald quoted Mr. Talenfeld, who also is president of Florida’s Children First, the state’s premier child advocacy organization.
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