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Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category
As reported by the Gainesville Sun, ” two Gainesville children — ages 8 and 10 — who fled to safety last week say they were repeatedly hit, fed only bread and water along with table scraps, ‘drowned’ in a bathtub, and burned or shocked by their adoptive parents.” Read more by clicking here.
(Scroll Beyond This Introduction to Read the Latest Blog Post)
Thousands of foster children, former foster children, developmentally disabled and medically needy children are part of the Florida child care system. If you’re currently or formerly a child in – or an advocate for or parent of a child in the foster care system, Florida Child Advocate is here to help.
Every year, thousands of foster children, medically needy children, or those physically abused, sexually abused, the victims of personal injury, legal damages, and pain and suffering are left to seek solutions on their own. No child should go through this on his or her own. And for the almost 500 who have died while under state watch, they deserved better.
This site was created by the law firm of Talenfeld Law, which was founded by nationally known Florida child advocate Howard Talenfeld, the preeminent children’s rights attorneys focusing exclusively on protecting the rights of physically and sexually abused children, developmentally disabled children and other at-risk children. Florida Child Advocate is dedicated to protecting children and addressing key issues facing those with foster care, physical abuse, child sexual abuse, social services, dependency, disability or personal injury and damages claims or lawsuits against the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), lead agencies, community based care providers, and other child welfare providers.
We believe that children belong with their own families. However, we also believe that when protective investigations by the Florida DCF and its agencies reveal that children are at high risk of neglect, child sex abuse or physical abuse by their parents, they must be placed with suitable relatives when they are available, and if not, some children must be placed in foster care. Critically, if children are going to be taken into foster care, they should be protected by the Florida Department of Children & Families and their community partners from the risk of physical and sexual abuse and returned home or placed in loving and nurturing adoptive families as quickly as possible. Topics also include the rights of foster Children to be safe from harm in care, their right to medical, psychological care, and disability benefits, their educational rights, and their rights on the road to independence.
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More than 150 local attorneys and officials were in attendance this week to celebrate the awarding of the University of Miami Law Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award to Howard M. Talenfeld. A leading Florida foster care abuse attorney and life-long advocate for children’s rights, Talenfeld was recognized for his tireless efforts on behalf of society’s most vulnerable citizens.
The award was presented by Fort Lauderdale attorney and 2015 award recipient Bruce Lyons, Miami attorney and president of the Law Alumni Association Edward R. Shohat, and University of Miami School of Law Dean Patricia D. White.
“Howard was a natural for this award. We’re very proud of his pioneering work for children’s causes,” said Shohat. “The association represents over 30,000 alumni around the world, and Howard is an excellent ambassador for the school.”
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In its 10 years serving Florida’s at-risk foster children, Florida Youth Shine has helped thousands of current and former foster children find their way – and serve as examples for other kids going through the state child welfare system. One such success story is Janice Goldsberry.
 Now 22 years old, Janice was in foster care for 11 years, from the age of 7 until she “aged out” at 18. She was often separated from her two siblings, had been in 15 homes that she can recall, 11 middle and high schools, and was the victim of the emotional trauma common to foster children.
Though her feelings of emotional neglect and depression continue, Janice still is a success story.
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 As an attorney, Gloria W. Fletcher was the staunchest advocate for her clients. As a champion for the children, she was one of Florida’s great child advocates. Though a formidable, tenacious criminal defense attorney for her clients, including many law enforcement personnel, Gloria arguably had her greatest impact on the lives of children. From the streets of Gainesville, to the federal and state courts of Florida, to the halls of the Florida Legislature and even the governor’s office, she was a force to be reckoned with when arguing on behalf of the state’s neediest children. That was where many knew her best. With her passing this week, that’s where many will miss her most.
Gloria for years served as Vice President and an active board member of Florida’s Children First, a statewide child advocacy organization, where she pressed for foster children to have attorneys. With her relationships in the capital and her unwillingness to take “No” for an answer, she pursued key legislation from sponsors through committees straight to the governor’s desk.
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If making life better for Florida’s abused, abandoned and neglected children is not already on your charitable priority list, consider Florida’s Children First. Thanks to the unwavering support of child advocates and supporters statewide, we’ve been able to help some of the 20,000 children in foster care who depend Florida’s Children First to make improvements in the system of care that make their lives better.
You can read here about our most recent accomplishments. But we need your help to continue our good work. Your donation to Florida’s Children First helps children who have been abused or neglected or abandoned, and your money is used wisely. Instead of asking you for a donation today, we are asking that you plan for the future and put Florida’s Children First in your 2015 Charitable Giving Budget.
There are three things that set us apart from the rest:
1. Our work is informed by the voice of the youth – listening to and promoting our youth advocacy organization, Florida Youth SHINE (current and former foster youth).
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Florida’s Children First, the state’s premier child advocacy organization, will hold its 2014 Broward Child Advocacy Awards & Reception on Thursday, February 27 at 5:30pm at the 110 Tower in Fort Lauderdale (110 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale 33301).
The event will honor:
– Children’s Services Council of Broward County as the Children’s Advocate of the Year
– Taevon Pierre & Aaron Dames as the Youth Honorees of the Year and
– Forever Family Bella’s Group as the Youth Inspiration Award
Master of Ceremonies will be Todd Templin, former WPLG reporter and current Vice President with Boardroom Communications.
Sponsors include Boardroom Communications; Colodny Fass Talenfeld Karlinsky Abate & Webb; Guardian Trust: Coral Gables Trust; Lifestyle Media Group; Daily Business Review; and Paul Palank Memorial Foundation.
For more information, contact: Debby Beck (fcf@floridaschildrenfirst.org or 954-796-0860).
What can you learn from a child or young adult? Listen and you’ll see. Members of Florida Youth Shine, who are current and former foster children, spent their summer speaking to child advocates throughout Florida, and working in the nation’s capital. They shared information about independent living legislation and other issues affecting foster kids.
The “Voice of the Youth” series took the young adults across the state to share their stories.
They spoke at trainings sessions, statewide committee meetings, and to the media that covers child advocacy issues.
In the past weeks, 22 Florida Youth Shine members actively participated in two workshops at The Department of Children and Families Child Dependency Summit in Orlando. There to learn, advocate and learn about leadership building, they also presented at workshops and served on panel discussions.
Among the events in which Florida Youth Shine members participated were:
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The Florida Department of Children and Families finds itself under increasing scrutiny as yet another child suffers serious abuse and apparent personal injury while under its watch. Child advocates and attorneys fear for the child’s future – and that of others like him.
The Sunshine State News Service asked in an article whether a Florida DCF transformation of its old system “cut too many corners” It’s a valid and timely question.
The child most recently injured was first admitted to the hospital with a broken leg his mother claimed resulted from a fall. Workers tasked with overseeing children did not act to investigate the claims. A later cracked rib went uninvestigated. The child was nearly killed in the third incident that severed his liver.
At least one judge has had enough.
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The Daily Business Review in Miami / South Florida reports on the 10 severely disabled adults, including four who are homeless, who will get help under a $9.7 million settlement with New York City for abuse they suffered as children or young adults in an adoption scam perpetrated by Judith Leekin.
Two South Florida law firms – one whose partner is Howard Talenfeld, considered among the top child abuse, personal injury, damage claims and wrongful death attorneys focused on foster child and at-risk populations – negotiated the settlement.
The lawsuit filed in New York federal court in 2009 in collaboration with Children’s Rights Inc., a New York-based nonprofit law firm.
“The partial settlement could not have come at a better time because four of these young adults are homeless and need the settlement immediately just to survive,” said Talenfeld, with Fort Lauderdale firm Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky, Abate & Webb said. “We’ve come too close to losing one or two former Leekin children, and we had to act.”
The other attorney, Ted Babbitt of Babbitt, Johnson, Osbourne & Le Clainche in West Palm Beach, said $3 million each would go to two adoptees placed with foster mother Judith Leekin through a city-run adoption office. The city’s liability was higher in those cases because of its direct involvement.
Read the entire story here.
Although the Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary’s initiative to recruit 1,200 more foster parents is admirable, the plan to eliminate the rules could prove disastrous for some children. In repealing these rrules, Florida needs to remember the death of children like Nubia Barahona and Latiana Hamilton where foster and adoptive parents were directly responsible for the deaths of these children. The negligence of DCF and employees of private agencies were directly responsible for the deaths of these foster children.
According to a story in the Tallahassee Demograt, “On Thursday, Department of Children and Families Secretary David Wilkins announced an initiative to help families care for kids temporarily taken from their families. The initiative, Fostering Florida’s Future, is a marketing campaign to recruit 1,200 new foster families and promote less-restrictive parenting rules that did little to protect children and much to discourage participation by foster parents.”
Florida had some 4,317 foster families in Florida in June, a 14 percent decline from the year before, the paper reported. “The department recruited 1,000 families last year, but more left for a variety of reasons. Some adopted the kids they fostered. Others chose not to continue as foster parents as they aged, Wilkins said.”
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Under the cloud of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case, attorneys, guardians and other child welfare advocates are watching a new law that has the Florida the Department of Children and Families preparing for the prospect of thousands of new calls reporting child abuse. In October, one of the toughest child abuse reporting laws in the nation will debut in the state.
“What we’re saying to the public is – if you suspect a child is being abused or neglected by anybody contact us,” DCF spokesman John Harrell told Action News Jacksonville.
As the news organization reported, Florida law currently requires mandatory reporting of child abuse by parent or a caregiver. The new “Protection of Vulnerable Persons” law will launch DCF involvement regardless who the suspected abuser is.
“Based on our research, with this new law we’re expecting about 30,000 more calls,” Harrell told the news organization. Currently, DCF receives about 40,000 calls a year.
Read the entire story here.
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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.
Hollywood, FL – July 30, 2019 – The Sun-Sentinel- Human trafficker forced sisters into prostitution by beating and raping them, police say A Hollywood man forced two sisters into prostitution, drove them to appointments with dozens of men, beat and raped them and took whatever money they collected, police said.
Gainesville, FL – July 26, 2019 – WCJB- Symposium on how to fight human trafficking held in Gainesville The ongoing fight against human trafficking is picking up steam in North Central Florida. The Suwannee River Area Health Education Center partnered with several organizations in Gainesville to provide human trafficking education and training to health care professionals.
Orlando, FL – July 22, 2019 – Fox 35 Orlando- Orlando police search for person who abandoned newborn on doorstep Orlando police are searching for the person who abandoned a baby at the doorstep of an Orlando apartment.
Miami, FL – July 11, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Juvenile justice guards offered bribes for beatings, witnesses testify at ‘honey-bun’ trial Two witnesses to the attack that killed 17-year-old Elord Revolte at the Miami-Dade juvenile lockup in August 2015 testified that guards ordered beatdowns of kids in detention in exchange for snacks at the state-run detention facility.
Broward County, FL – July 5, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Reports of child neglect piled up. BSO declared the kids safe. Now the boys are dead. In April 2018, state child welfare authorities were told that then-21-year-old Wildline Joseph got stoned regularly, and allowed two of her small children to wander the neighborhood day and night with no supervision.
Tallahassee, FL – June 27, 2019 – Florida Politics- Ron DeSantis signs ‘A Year is a Long Time in the Life of a Child Act’ Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed into law the “A Year is a Long Time in the Life of a Child Act,” a measure designed to reduce the amount of time abused and neglected children spend in foster care.
North Lauderdale, FL – June 21, 2019 – The Miami Herald- A month after unsupervised brothers drowned, DCF is silent on whether it was neglect For several hours, Wildine Joseph allowed her two small sons to play outside unsupervised in her apartment complex, long after the sun had set.
Tampa, FL – June 15, 2019 – Tampa Bay Times- He used to find children ‘not terribly interesting.’ At last count, Tampa man had fostered 17. The phone call came two days before Christmas. Would you be willing to foster a preemie baby born to a drug-addicted mother?
Miami, FL – June 5, 2019 – CBS 4 Miami- Miami Woman Accused Of Leaving Child Home Alone Faces Neglect Charges A Miami woman is facing child-neglect charges after police said an officer found her seven-year-old son home alone.
Miami, FL – June 5, 2019 – Miami New Times- Our Kids to Undergo Mass Layoffs After Losing $500 Million Foster-Care Contract The yearlong battle over a government contract to provide foster-care services in South Florida has come to an end — and so has the current provider.
Homestead, FL – June 5, 2019 – Miami New Times- Trump Administration Cancels Legal Aid, Recreation, English Classes for Homestead Shelter Kids Legal advocates reported Friday that thousands of refugee kids stuck at the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children regularly complain about being depressed, lonely, miserable, and mistreated in the American refugee shelter system.
Bloomington, IN – June 4, 2019 – CNN- A 12-year-old boy who was starved, chained and kept in a dog collar died. His mother never knew he left the state Eduardo Posso was supposed to be living in Florida with his sister, father and stepmother and attending school.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – June 3, 2019 – WPLG Local 10- 3 arrested after foster child beaten for not finishing homework, police say Three people were arrested Friday after beating a foster child with a jump rope, belt, clothes hanger and charging cord for not finishing his or her homework, police said.
Orlando, FL – May 29, 2019 – News 13- Watchdog: Number of Florida Kids Held Under Baker Act on the Rise Labeled a threat and held at a mental health facility against your will — a Spectrum News 13 Watchdog investigation has found this situation happening to thousands of children every year in Florida, including many who are younger than 10.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – May 2, 2019 – WPLG Local 10- Fort Lauderdale man accused of repeatedly beating 3 children at home, gym A Fort Lauderdale man was arrested Wednesday on three counts of aggravated child abuse for repeatedly beating his three young children at his home, inside his car and at his gym, authorities said.
Parkland, FL – April 23, 2019 – The Sun-Sentinel- Therapists may have inflamed Parkland shooter, lawyer claims Therapists supported the use of violent video games by the teen who later killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Broward County, FL – April 18, 2019 – The Miami Herald- Child abuse investigators competed to cut their caseloads. The winner got a pizza party. The Broward Sheriff’s Office’s child welfare unit wanted to lower its caseload as quickly as possible last month, so leaders launched a contest.
South Beach, FL – April 11, 2019 – WPLG Local 10- Florida Department of Children and Families takes tourist’s daughter A 3-year-old girl walked out of a hotel room in South Beach after spending more than four hours alone without access to food or water, according to Miami Beach Police Department officers.
Mendocino County, CA – April 6, 2019 – CNN- Jennifer Hart drove her six children to their deaths as her wife looked up how much they would suffer, a jury says As a drunk Jennifer Hart drove her six adopted children in their family SUV, her wife, Sarah, sat in the passenger seat looking up different ways to end a life.
Haines City, FL – April 2, 2019 – The Ledger- Couple accused of ‘reprehensible’ child neglect Haines City Police arrested a couple for aggravated child neglect with great bodily harm, a second-degree felony, after a 2-year-old child in their custody was found with multiple injuries.
Tallahassee, FL – March 25, 2019 – The Sarasota Herald-Tribune- Foster parent privacy bill passes second Florida House committee A bill backed by the Florida Department of Children and Families that would shield the names of foster parents from the public passed a state House subcommittee Monday after dramatic testimony from several foster parents.
Tallahassee, FL – March 20, 2019 – The Sun-Sentinel- State investigated abuse claims at South Florida migrant shelter for children Florida’s child-welfare agency has investigated six cases of alleged child sexual abuse at a federal migrant shelter in South Florida in less than a year, including allegations involving caregivers.
Tampa, FL – March 19, 2019 – The Tampa Bay Times- State agrees to foster care reforms in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, but what about rest of Florida? The agency that runs foster care in Florida has agreed to no longer place children overnight in hotels or unlicensed offices, to stop squeezing more children into foster homes than they are licensed for and to keep children aged 6 and younger out of group foster homes staffed by shift workers.
Dunnellon, FL – March 14, 2019 – Ocala Star Banner – Mom, grown daughter accused of running unlicensed day care in Dunnellon A mother and daughter were arrested Wednesday and accused of operating a children’s day care without a license.
Tallahassee, FL – March 12, 2019 – Sarasota Herald Tribune – DCF proposes to keep foster parent names secret A bill proposed by the Florida Department of Children & Families that would conceal the names of foster parents from public view will be heard for the first time by a House subcommittee Wednesday.
Miami, FL – March 5, 2019 – Miami New Times – Before Foster Child Naika Venant’s Suicide on Facebook Live, Florida Failed to Help Her Still dressed in her school uniform, Naika Venant went live on Facebook at 6:12 p.m. November 10, 2016.
Rockledge, FL – February 7, 2019 – WFTV 9 – Group home worker arrested years after woman with mental capacity of child gave birth A group home resident with the mental capacity of a small child gave birth in 2015, and an employee at the facility was arrested Tuesday.
Jacksonville, FL – February 4, 2019 – First Coast News WTLV – Foster home on Jacksonville’s Westside closes amidst DCF investigation A foster home on Jacksonville’s Westside has closed its doors amidst a Department of Children and Families investigation that started after the home’s director was accused of covering up child abuse.
Largo, FL – January 17, 2019 – The Tampa Bay Times- The fallout from state review of 2-year-old Jordan Belliveau’s death State Sen. Lauren Book accuses the Florida Department of Children and Families of passing blame in the death of 2-year-old Jordan Belliveau. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says foster care in his county is not as fractured as a review found.
Live Oak, FL – January 15, 2019 – Fox News- Three children in Florida die after locking themselves inside freezer: police Three children in Live Oak, Florida, died Sunday after they accidentally trapped themselves in a freezer while playing outside, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office announced early this week.
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Peers Mourn Loss of Florida’s Leading Child Advocate, Foster Child Abuse Attorney
Gloria for years served as Vice President and an active board member of Florida’s Children First, a statewide child advocacy organization, where she pressed for foster children to have attorneys. With her relationships in the capital and her unwillingness to take “No” for an answer, she pursued key legislation from sponsors through committees straight to the governor’s desk.
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