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Welcome to Florida Child Advocate

February 4th, 2018   No Comments   Abuse, Adoption, Advocacy

(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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Justice for Kids Leader Howard Talenfeld Honored at Keiser University Choice Awards

November 21st, 2023   No Comments   News & Events, Uncategorized

Howard M. Talenfeld, a leading children’s rights attorney and Business Unit Leader of Justice for Kids, a division of Kelley Kronenberg, was recently recognized as an honoree at the Keiser University Choice Awards – Minority Community Leaders Gala on November 17.

This special event recognized and celebrated the achievements of individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to minority communities, fostering a sense of community and empowerment. It also brought together leaders from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and resources to strengthen their collective impact.

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Miami Herald: Teen was tortured in Broward home for a decade, police say. A sex offender lived there, too.

November 8th, 2023   No Comments   Abuse

As reported by the Miami Herald, a 15-year-old girl suffered close to a decade of horrors at a Margate home where new court records reveal that a sex offender also lived. Horace Crawley, 74, was arrested on Sunday and is now charged with failure to register as a sex offender. Days prior, Shankyria Latricia Clayton, the girl’s 20-year-old sister, was charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm in connection with the teen’s case.

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Miami New Times – Lawsuit: State Agency Ignored Red Flags Before Miami Mother Killed Children

November 2nd, 2023   Comments Off on Miami New Times – Lawsuit: State Agency Ignored Red Flags Before Miami Mother Killed Children   Abuse

A lawsuit has been filed accusing a state agency of ignoring red flags that ultimately led to the tragic deaths of two children. According to a report by Miami New Times, the agency ignored the increasingly dangerous household and signs that the mother was behaving erratically.

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Prominent Children’s Rights Attorney Howard Talenfeld Named to Florida Trend 500 Legends List

November 1st, 2023   Comments Off on Prominent Children’s Rights Attorney Howard Talenfeld Named to Florida Trend 500 Legends List   News & Events

Howard M. Talenfeld, a leading children’s rights attorney and Business Unit Leader of Justice for Kids, a division of Kelley Kronenberg, has once again been selected by Florida Trend magazine for its annual Florida 500 list. This special section highlights the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout Florida. Talenfeld has consistently been included in this publication since 2018. This year, he is listed in the “Legends” category.

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WPLG: Teacher accused of abusing special needs 4-year-old boy at Broward school

October 11th, 2023   No Comments   Abuse

A Broward County, FL teacher has been accused of abusing a special needs pre-kindergarten student. Read more from WPLG Local 10 here.



One of America’s Most Prolific Pedophiles Sexually Abused Hundreds of Children in the South Suburbs of Chicago

October 3rd, 2023   No Comments   Uncategorized

Serial pedophile Thomas Hacker sexually abused hundreds of children in Illinois and Indiana, abusing the trust of children and parents through his leadership roles in the Boy Scouts, Catholic churches, suburban Chicago Park District programs, and Chicago Public Schools (CPS).  From the 1960s through the 1980s, Hacker preyed upon boys as young as 10 and 11 years old.  While he was employed by CPS, Hacker was convicted for sexually abusing boys he mentored through scouting and church activities in Mount Prospect and Oak Lawn, Illinois; yet the convictions did not have any effect on his teaching career.  Moreover, CPS received reports of Hacker sexually abusing children while teaching, but no action was taken, allowing him full access to sexually abuse children.

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Trial of Former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Employees Charged in Connection to Child’s Death will Continue Mid-October

A McHenry County State’s Attorney criminally charged two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) child protection specialists with endangering the life of a child and health of a minor.  Before 2019, when 5-year-old AJ Freund was found in a shallow grave, DCFS received at least 10 prior hotline calls concerning the care the child’s parents were giving.

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Jury Awards Father $4.5 Million in Damages in Wrongful Death Case Involving Broward Sheriff’s Office

August 18th, 2023   No Comments   Abuse, Court Cases, Negligence

Christopher Nevarez, the father of Makenzie Nevarez, a 6-month-old baby girl who suffered catastrophic injuries and later passed away from blunt force trauma, has been awarded $4.5 million in damages in a wrongful death case involving the Broward Sheriff’s Office for failure to protect his daughter.

Justin Grosz and Stacie Schmerling, partners with Justice for Kids at Kelley Kronenberg, represented Makenzie’s father and grandmother in the case, which alleged that the child protection investigator, under the auspices of BSO at the time, could have done more to further investigate previous injuries and keep Makenzie safe while in the care of her mother and her mother’s roommate.

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Sun-Sentinel: Family of baby killed in abuse case seeking $15 million from Broward Sheriff’s Office

August 15th, 2023   No Comments   Court Cases, Negligence

Jury deliberations are underway in this Justice for Kids case involving the death of 6-month-old Makenzie Nevarez. Her family is accusing the Broward Sheriff’s Office of negligence.

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Sun-Sentinel: A baby girl who was the subject of an abuse investigation was killed. Now, a trial begins that accuses child-welfare officials of negligence.

August 9th, 2023   No Comments   Court Cases, Negligence

Justice for Kids is in court this week regarding a lawsuit about 6-month-old baby Makenzie Nevarez, whose babysitter went to prison in her death. They have alleged that Broward Sheriff’s Office was negligent, arguing the child protection investigator, under the auspices of the agency at the time, could have done more to further the investigation and keep the baby safe.

Makenzie had previously been taken to hospitals in northwest Broward twice for unexplained injuries before BSO put her back into the care of the mother and her roommate who was often the babysitter. Tragically, she died more than a week later.



New Report Shows Florida Has Nation’s Highest Rate of Kids Visiting ERs For Preventable Dental Issues

July 21st, 2023   No Comments   Uncategorized

As reported by Florida Politics, a new report shows that most young children’s visits to emergency departments were related to a lack of preventive care, even when Medicaid covers the services.

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Jury Awards $485 Million in Damages in Foster Child Sexual Abuse Case

July 21st, 2023   No Comments   Sexual Abuse

A New Mexico jury has awarded $485 million in damages in a civil case involving a child sexually assaulted in foster care.

As reported by AP, the program allegedly placed the girl in the home of a foster parent despite knowing that he had been accused of sexual assault.

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