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Archive for November, 2015

Florida Foster Child Abuse Attorney to Florida Legislature: Cut Bad Group Homes, Boost Child Placement Choices

November 20th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Commentary

Fort Lauderdale foster child abuse attorney Howard Talenfeld this week wrote an editorial on privatization of Florida’s child welfare system. He summarized how contracting of such services by the Florida Department of Children and Families to such lead agencies like ChildNet and Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe Inc., ostensibly to cut costs, actually results in higher costs, while introducing dangerous, substandard child placements.

The result has been higher costs, poor placements, and long-term issues for children in the system. If passed, legislation now before the Florida Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee headed by Sen. Eleanor Sobel and supported by Sen. Nancy Detert, would create stability and safety for foster children by pursuing the best possible placement opportunity.

Read the entire editorial here.

Florida Foster Child Adopted by Forever Family at 26

November 18th, 2015   No Comments   Commentary

During the holiday season, foster child abuse attorneys who represent kids who suffer physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other personal injuries know it can be difficult to find foster children whose stories have happy endings. The life of Florida foster child Tyrone Burns Smith is just such a story. His life could have gone any number of ways. Shuttled between more than a dozen foster and group homes, he always hoped to find his forever family. Though he wasn’t the victim of foster child abuse, being moved about left Burns Smith worried he’d never find his forever home.

But he did. At 15, he was placed with Ann Marie and Peter Smith, foster parents to Tyrone’s two siblings. Then, earlier this year, Burns Smith, now 26, finally found what he was ultimately looking for: his forever family. The man, who works as a mechanic for Disney in Central Florida, was legally adopted by the Smith family. He earned their love early on and now has their name.

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