Tampa, FL – December 7, 2021 – ABC Action News- Gov. DeSantis not budging on a move that will force hundreds of migrant kids out of FL Executive order directs DCF not to renew licenses of shelters caring for unaccompanied kids
Tallahassee, FL – November 30, 2021 – Florida Politics- Legislation creating ‘bill of rights’ for foster children passes Senate committee The bill would create a ‘Foster Children’s Bill of Rights’ by compiling existing laws into one statute.
California – November 20, 2021 – People- After Escaping Captivity from Abusive Parents, the Turpin Siblings Faced a New Set of Horrors Disturbing details about the Turpins’ post-rescue lives emerged in a new report from ABC’s 20/20, alleging that their past few years “have been marred by the county’s missteps and mistakes”
Tampa, FL – November 10, 2021 – WTSP Channel 10- How should Florida lawmakers tackle child welfare in legislative session? Former DCF employees said the investigation into Eckerd is not an isolated incident. Rather, the issues are systemic.
Tampa, FL – November 9, 2021 – Florida Politics- Pinellas lawmakers say Eckerd Connects child welfare issues will be legislative priority It has been a rough and uncertain week for at-risk youth in Pinellas County.
Bartow, FL – October 29, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- Over 100 arrested in Florida human trafficking investigation More than 100 people have been arrested in a Florida human trafficking investigation that focused on victims who might be forced into prostitution, a sheriff said Thursday.
Detroit, MI – October 25, 2021 – The New Yorker- How an Adoption Broker Cashed In on Prospective Parents’ Dreams In just a few years, a Michigan woman took in millions of dollars, faking adoptions and ruining families’ lives along the way.
Miami, FL – September 9, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Parents of students with disabilities sue to stop DeSantis from enforcing school mask ban A Miami federal judge Wednesday heard arguments from a lawyer for Gov. Ron DeSantis seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by parents of children with disabilities who sued the state over his executive order prohibiting school districts from mandating students wear masks to protect against COVID-19.
Miami, FL – August 30, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- Woman accused of leaving toddler alone inside parked SUV at Bayfront Park Miami police arrested a 22-year-old woman early Monday morning who they said left her 15-month-old son inside a car that was parked outside the amphitheater at Bayfront Park.
Miami, FL – August 18, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Program for brain-damaged kids arbitrarily denied claims, overspent on perks, audit finds Over the last two years, Florida’s embattled compensation program for children who suffer brain damage at birth spent nearly $800 for holiday luncheons and violated state spending laws by offering lavish buffets to employees and board members, but refused to reimburse a family for the full amount of a $1,314 computer designed to help a non-verbal child speak.
Tallahassee, FL – July 23, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Overhaul of Florida program to aid brain-damaged kids now in hands of powerful politician Now that the Florida Legislature and governor have taken action to overhaul a Florida program that serves families with brain-damaged children, its future could pivot on a state Cabinet member following through on his promise to make the program answer to the parents of disabled children.
Lauderhill, FL – July 14, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Mother arrested on murder charges in the Broward deaths of her girls, ages 9 and 7 Lauderhill police arrested a mother on first-degree murder charges Tuesday night, exactly three weeks after the bodies of her daughters were found in a canal behind a condominium complex.
Tallahassee, FL – June 30, 2021 – Florida Politics- Florida’s foster care system getting overhaul after Gov. DeSantis’ signature Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed proposals to improve the state’s child welfare system and help children find permanent homes more quickly.
Miami, FL – June 14, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- South Florida leaders discuss ‘disturbing’ human trafficking trends A roundtable discussion Monday sought to brainstorm ways to better prevent human trafficking as local leaders noted troubling trends in the state.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – May 20, 2021 – Becker- Becker Scores Victory for Client RAINN in Passage of Bill Establishing Sexual Assault Response Teams Becker is pleased to announce it helped secure the passage of HB 1189 on behalf of our client, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
Miami-Dade County, FL – April 19, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- Mother, father arrested after 6-month-old taken to hospital with severe injuries A couple from Miami-Dade County is facing child neglect charges after one of them took their 6-month-old son to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital earlier this month with numerous injuries, authorities confirmed.
Los Angeles, CA– April 12, 2021 – Fox News- California mother suspected of killing 3 kids ‘unwell’ for months, family member says; father ‘devastated’ A Southern California woman who allegedly stabbed her three young children to death had reportedly been “unwell” for months, and the father of the kids is “devastated” after having pleaded with child services to get her help.
Kalamazoo, MI – April 2, 2021 – NBC News- Michigan to ban restraints in youth facilities after Cornelius Frederick’s death The death of a 16-year-old foster child who was restrained led Michigan officials to re-evaluate the care children receive in these facilities.
Miami, FL – March 29, 2021 – Local 10 WPLG- Miami-Dade teacher faces judge after arrest on charges of sexually molesting student A South Florida high school teacher is facing several charges for allegedly sexually molesting a student.
Palm Beach, FL – March 29, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Latest indictment says Ghislaine Maxwell groomed girl as young as 14 for Epstein’s abuse Ghislaine Maxwell was indicted Monday on federal sex trafficking charges involving a victim who says she was 14 when she was groomed by Maxwell to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein at his Palm Beach mansion.
Hollywood, FL – March 23, 2021 – The Sun-Sentinel- Federal grand jury indicts two for trafficking 16-year-old girl for sex, prosecutors say A federal grand jury has indicted a Hollywood man and a Miami Gardens woman for the alleged sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl.
Pasco County, FL – March 6, 2021 – The Miami Herald- DCF employee and her husband charged with sexually battering a 13-year-old girl, cops say A Department of Children and Families employee and her husband are accused of repeatedly sexually battering a 13-year-old girl over a period of 10 months, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Clearwater, FL – March 5, 2021 – The New York Post- Florida couple charged with neglecting 3 children, killing 1 A heartless Florida couple is facing a slew of charges for severely neglecting three kids — including one who died last summer, authorities said.
Tallahassee, FL – February 5, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Leadership changes at DCF, AHCA as DeSantis names new heads of key state agencies After just two years at the helm, Chad Poppell has resigned as the head of the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
Sunrise, FL – February 2, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Two FBI agents fatally shot, three wounded while serving warrant in Sunrise. Gunman is dead Two agents were shot and killed and three wounded while serving a warrant at a Sunrise home Tuesday morning, the FBI confirmed Tuesday morning.
Tallahassee, FL – January 26, 2021 – The Miami Herald- State’s investigation points to these non-profit executives making too much money A Hialeah mental health center, the lead foster care provider in Tampa and agencies that provide child welfare services in Sarasota and mental health services in Pensacola are among the nine nonprofit organizations spending millions compensating executives above the limits allowed by state law, a preliminary report from the governor’s Office of Inspector General has found.
Plantation, FL – January 24, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- Baby bleeding outside car, mother ‘passed out’ from alcohol inside, according to Plantation police A 27-year-old mother is facing charges of child abuse and other offenses after a 7-month girl was found outside of a car in Plantation bleeding, according to Plantation Police.
Orlando, FL – January 14, 2021 – WESH 2 News- Quick-thinking Orlando waitress credited with saving boy from allegedly abusive parents An Orlando waitress saved a young boy from allegedly abusive parents after she noticed he was bruised and wasn’t being allowed to eat.
Daytona Beach, FL – January 7, 2021 – The Daytona Beach News-Journal- ERAU professor, local pastor arrested on child porn charges had plans to foster children A former Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor and local church pastor arrested Wednesday for possessing child pornography had plans to foster children from the state, Daytona Beach police said.
Ocala, FL – December 22, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Florida’s Lowell prison is cesspool of sexual abuse by staff, feds say in blistering report In a scathing rebuke of Florida’s Department of Corrections, the U.S. Department of Justice has found that officers at Lowell Correctional Institution have repeatedly raped, sodomized, beaten and choked female inmates as part of a pattern of rampant civil rights abuses that go back years.
Orange County, FL – December 15, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Florida dropped its probe of a troubled group home. Then a man died at its sister facility State disability administrators were so concerned for the safety of residents at an Orange County group home that they filed a complaint in March, alleging the home’s staff improperly restrained a resident, and then it lied about what happened.
Broward County, FL – December 10, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- Grand jury: Florida’s mental health care system ‘a mess’ Florida’s broken mental health system has “urgent problems” and should be overhauled by a new commission with broad authority to investigate failures, a statewide grand jury says.
Jacksonville, FL – December 4, 2020 – Action News Jax- Caseworkers talk challenges of helping abused and neglected kids virtually Covid-19 has changed the way we live our lives and do our jobs, and there’s growing concern among the child welfare community.
Miami, FL – November 23, 2020 – Florida Today- I’m a former foster child and Florida’s system needs to be overhauled | Opinion The USA TODAY Network’s recent landmark investigation into Florida’s child welfare system reflects both my personal experience in foster care and the ways in which well-meaning state policies often inflict unintentional harm on a community’s most vulnerable population.
Miami, FL – November 30, 2020 – The Miami Herald- She aged out of foster care, but her siblings haven’t. She’s trying to get custody Rodericka Carter, 21, lives in an almost empty apartment high up over Brickell.
Leon County, FL – November 23, 2020 – Tallahassee Reports- Leon County Commission Outlines Next Steps for Children’s Services Council Earlier this month, Leon County voters approved the creation of a Children’s Services Council.
Palm Beach County, FL – November 13, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- A mom will explain how her 7-pound girl starved to death. The dad faces the death penalty. By all appearances that night in the emergency room, Tayla Aleman never had a chance.
Sarasota County, FL – November 12, 2020 – 10 Tampa Bay- Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office employee accused of sexually abusing a child A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office employee was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual battery of a person under 18.
Flagler County, FL – November 11, 2020 – WESH 2- DCF worker accused keeping abuse of child from law enforcement A Florida Department of Children and Families worker was arrested after the abuse of a child was allegedly kept from law enforcement for weeks.
Tallahassee, FL – November 1, 2020 – WFSU- Florida’s Foster Care System Woes Spark Furious Debate On Fixes A critical newspaper story has roiled Florida’s child welfare system. Lawmakers and advocates are concerned.
Kendall, FL – October 29, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Miami mom accused of drowning autistic son in canal faces death penalty after indictment Patricia Ripley, the West Kendall mother accused of murdering her 9-year-old autistic son by pushing him into a canal, now faces the death penalty.
New York, NY – October 27, 2020 – NBC News- NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere sentenced to 120 years in prison The shadowy group that operated near Albany, New York, has been the subject of the HBO docuseries “The Vow.”
Tallahassee, FL – October 27, 2020 – Florida Trend- Attorney General Moody and FLHSMV Launch Highway Heroes Campaign to Stop Human Trafficking on Florida Roadways Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles today launched a campaign aimed at enlisting half a million commercial truck drivers in the fight to end human trafficking.
New York, NY – October 27, 2020 – The New York Times- Sex Cult Leader, Facing Life Sentence, Regrets Nothing Several victims are expected to testify when Keith Raniere, the founder of Nxivm, is sentenced this week for sex trafficking, extortion and other crimes.
Boca Raton, FL – October 26, 2020 – NBC News- Inside the surveillance software tracking child porn offenders across the globe In December 2016, law enforcement agents seized computers and hard drives from the home of Tay Christopher Cooper, a retired high school history teacher, in Carlsbad, California. On the devices, digital forensic experts found more than 11,600 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to court documents.
Miami Gardens, FL – October 26, 2020 – Local 10 News- Popular track-and-field youth coach arrested on alleged sexual battery A popular Miami Gardens youth track-and-field coach was arrested Sunday on allegations of sexual battery pertaining to a former teenaged female athlete, according to an arrest warrant.
Daytona Beach, FL – October 25, 2020 – The Daytona Beach News-Journal- USA Today investigation shows that protecting children must be a top priority Florida lawmakers have a bad habit of trying to solve social problems on the cheap. When it comes to the child welfare system, the results have been disastrous.
Miami, FL – October 16, 2020 – WSVN 7 News- Special education teacher at Auburndale Elementary School arrested, fired after child abuse accusations A special education teacher at Auburndale Elementary School has been arrested and fired after some alarming allegations.
Miami, FL – October 16, 2020 – The Daily Business Review- A Warning to Schools: Miami-Dade Child’s Lawsuit Alleges Sex Harassment by Classmates A lawsuit that alleges a middle school student was sexually assaulted by classmates because the School Board of Miami-Dade County ignored repeated reports of harassment could serve as a lesson to all schools on liability under federal civil rights law Title IX.
Broward County, FL – October 12, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- These 19- and 21-year-old women trafficked girls for sex, prosecutors say Two young women posted nude photos of underage girls on websites in order to sell the children for sex, and rented Airbnbs almost a dozen times so that clients and victims could meet, prosecutors say.
Tallahassee, FL – October 6, 2020 – Florida Politics- 2020 Human Trafficking Summit kicks off virtually with thousands in attendance Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday delivered her opening remarks at the 2020 Human Trafficking Summit, which is being held virtually for the first time in the event’s history.
A Sad Refrain: Broward’s Privatized Child Abuse System Does Not Protect Abused Children
It’s becoming an all too common refrain in Florida. Gabriel Myers, Tamiya Audain, Antwone Hope and now Ahzia Osceola, each slipped through the cracks of Broward’s Child welfare system and died.
A child dies or suffers serious child abuse, sexual abuse or neglect at the hands of his parents, guardians or caregivers. Once the Department of Children and Families launches its investigation, it’s discovered that the child was known to be at risk by ChildNet, Broward child investigators, and many others, but little to nothing was done to protect the child.
This sad refrain has come true again in the case of 3-year-old Ahziya Osceola. Though abuse investigators with the Broward Sheriff’s Office saw the signs of repeated abuse – bumps, bruises, fingerprints, scratches and abrasions on little Ahziya’s body – they failed to act or even acknowledge the “a pattern of repeat injuries” outlined in a report released this week by the Department of Children and Families.
Experts skilled in spotting child abuse reported twice that Ahziya was being injured, and CHildNet had regular “drive-by” visits with little substance. Yet, the Sheriff’s Office failed to act and left him with the abusers, according to the DCF report.
Ahziya died of his injuries, and his body was hidden in his Hollywood home. Stepmother Analiz Osceola, who had reported the child missing in an attempt to hide his death, remains jailed on charges of aggravated manslaughter.
The true horror of Ahziya’s story is that his tale is nothing new. The first report of abuse came in 2013. The fourth and final report came this year. He was known to be at-risk. He was left vulnerable to his abusers.
Whether at the city, county or state level, all too often those charged with protecting children overlook or ignore signs of abuse. Children die or are injured. Then officials who descend upon the case to “investigate” find signs of abuse overlooked.
The media covers the story. Those involved promise to fix the problems, whether specific to the individual case or the larger failings that seem to permeate child protective services statewide.
At the state level, new funding was found to hire more child investigators and create the child abuse hotline. DCF created a special unit to investigate these cases. Officials praise their own efforts.
Yet, Ahziya Osceola is gone having been yet another child who has slipped through the cracks of our privatized child welfare system.
When will the day come that this sad refrain will cease to happen, when at-risk children will be placed in safer surroundings, and we no longer will read about investigations botched or signs ignored? For now, we can only hope – and worry when the next case of abuse of an at-risk child will come.