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Children’s Rights: Advocates Debate Florida’s Representation, Rights of Abused, Neglected Kids

May 21st, 2012   No Comments   Advocacy

A report released recently by two national child welfare advocacy organizations has created debate about the legal rights Florida provides for affords abused and neglected children.

According to the News Service of Florida, national study – A Child’s Right to Counsel: A National Report Card on Legal Representation for Abused and Neglected Children – graded each state and the District of Columbia on how well they protect the legal rights of abused and neglected children in dependency court.

Florida was among the ten states that failed. The study was conducted by national child advocacy organizations, First Star and the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Florida failed, among other reasons, because of its discretionary – not mandatory – appointment of attorneys for children in dependency cases, the media reported. Advocates and the statewide Guardian ad Litem program dispute the findings.

Read the entire story here.

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