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Gainesville, Florida, child advocate attorney Gloria Fletcher’s letter to the editor regarding Rilya Wilson’s senseless death was widely published. It raises key questions regarding the child abuse and wrongful death likely suffered by the young girl. The text of the letter follows…
Ten years after the disappearance of little Rilya Wilson, what have Floridians learned about her fate and the future of others in state’s child welfare system? What do we know about the system itself – and whether reforms have made kids any more safe?
It’s hard to say what we’ve learned. As the first-degree murder trial of her Rilya’s caretaker, Geralyn Graham, gets underway in Miami this week, too many questions linger about Rilya, Graham and the Department of Children and Families.
The state will plead its case for charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated child abuse against Graham, who in 2000 took in the 4-year-old foster child.
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From caring as a youth for his special needs sister, Bess, to championing the rights of Florida’s at-risk populations facing physical abuse, sexual abuse, personal injury and wrongful death claims, Howard Talenfeld has made helping those in need his passion and professional practice.
His work was profiled recently in ‘Personal Experience Drives People to Pursue Philanthropy,’ an article in the South Florida Business Journal’s annual Giving Guide.
“Growing up, working very closely with Bess from when she was a child, I later discovered I had the opportunity to work with and fight for the lives of those in need,” said Talenfeld, president and chairman of Florida’s Children First and a shareholder with Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky, Abate & Webb, in Fort Lauderdale.
“What drove me was knowing there are so many people in Florida who are like Bess,” he told the Business Journal. “Our lives can be so much more useful fighting for these folks than just fighting about money.”
Read the entire story here.
Child care advocates and those who fight for the legal rights of at-risk children have watched in horror as these kids have suffered physical abuse, sexual abuse, personal injury and wrongful death in various settings while under state care. So the Miami Herald editorial chastising the state for the practice of placing disabled youths in adult nursing homes is all the more alarming.
The editorial began: “Here’s how the state of Florida justifies its practice of warehousing severely medically challenged children in nursing homes: ‘They are strictly regulated to ensure that the appropriate services are provided specifically for children,’ noted part of a defensive statement from the state Agency for Health Care Administration. ‘They provide a safe, secure and enriching environment for the children in their care.’
“State health officials, then, might deign to consider Doris Freyre’s experience,” the paper continued, “Marie, her profoundly disabled daughter, was sent to a nursing home at the insistence of social workers. Marie was 14. The Tampa mom had lovingly cared for her at home since birth…Marie died in that Miami Gardens nursing home, struggling to breathe. None of the staff members thought enough to call a doctor.”
Read the entire editorial here. Then decide for yourself if warehousing at-risk kids is any solution.
Child advocates and child welfare attorneys are watching closely as a trial sparked by the disappearance of a young girl gets started. In the balance hangs how the state tracks youths – and how lawsuits, damages and personal injury stemming from children being physically abused or sexually abused, neglected or the subject of wrongful death may hold the state accountable.
As the murder trial starts for Geralyn Graham – the caretaker for foster child Rilya Wilson, who was last seen alive more than a decade ago while under the supposed watch of the Florida Department of Children and Families – many questions remain.
Rilya’s body has never been found. It had been more than a year since a state worker last saw the child. She’s long since been presumed dead. But the impact of this little girl has been dramatic upon Florida DCF, its leadership and the way kids under its watch are actually watched, documented and protected.
DCF went through an administrative house cleaning after news of Rilya’s disappearance emerged. Hearings were held. DCF employees were fired; the top administrator in Miami resigned and the DCF secretary left. A report was issued. The Florida Legislature got involved.
Advocates demanded transparency and accountability from the organization. Maybe this case will help deliver both. Read a Miami Herald article on the case here.
Howard Talenfeld, a nationally recognized children’s rights attorney and committed supporter of foster child causes, has been named a 2012 Key Partners honoree by the South Florida Business Journal. The annual event recognizes South Florida’s top attorneys and accountants, based on demonstrated success over the past 18 months. He and the other honorees were recognized at a Nov. 15 reception in Miami.
Talenfeld is a Shareholder with Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky, Abate & Webb in Fort Lauderdale. He was honored for his ongoing industry leadership, commitment to community involvement, professionalism and his establishment of a successful niche practice area representing the rights of foster children and disabled persons.
Throughout his career, he has focused his legal practice on protecting the rights of these vulnerable individuals in civil rights cases, personal injury cases and systemic reform litigation.
Over the past 18 months, Talenfeld has made seven figure damage recoveries on behalf of foster children who were abused and neglected in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services and its private agencies.
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Florida’s Children First (FCF) recognized local individuals for their tireless efforts to advocate for the state’s most vulnerable citizens at its annual Northeast Florida Reception Nov. 15 at the University Club in Jacksonville. FCF is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting foster children and other at-risk youth.
The 2012 Honorees include Brenda Stewart of Family Support Services, Carolyn King of the Nassau Guardian ad Litem Office, and the Justice Coalition. Tina and Burton Scaff will also receive the Foster & Adoptive Family of the Year award.
Additionally, Shawna Nealey and Malcolm Bright were recognized as this year’s Youth Honorees.
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The death of Marie Freyre – a 14-year-old child with cerebral palsy and prone to seizures – is a sad example of a preventable wrongful death that attorneys believe could result in a civil damages case and damage claims. One newspaper called her example a “bitter reminder of a dog fight” being waged between federal civil rights lawyers and the state health administration officials who attorneys and advocates accuse of warehousing sick and disabled children in adult nursing homes.
The agencies responsibility for cutting private duty nurses to Marie and others like her must be held accountable civil damages cases.
“The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights division has threatened to sue the state if it does not take steps to care for sick children outside of large institutions,” the Miami Herald wrote.
“Records obtained by The Miami Herald from the state agency that has defended the practice of housing children in nursing homes, as well as records from other agencies and advocacy groups, show the children in such facilities often receive little education, are provided few activities and can suffer grievous neglect,” the paper reported. “Two of the six nursing homes that house children are on the state’s ‘watch list’ of deficient facilities; one is on both the state list and a federal “special focus” list of marginal homes.”
Read the entire story here.
A sold-out crowd of 144 golfers and dozens of supporters of foster children, at-rick youth and other vulnerable Floridians hit the links in October for the Broward County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section’s (YLS) 25th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. The event raised a record $31,000 for its benefitting charity, Florida’s Children First (FCF). Over the past year, the Broward YLS has raised more than $60,000 for FCF, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing the rights of at-risk children, especially those in foster care.
“As young lawyers, we want to be engaged in our community, and give back whenever possible. The funds raised last week will be used to support an organization that makes an invaluable difference in the lives of many Florida children.”
YLS will present a check to FCF at a luncheon ceremony on Dec. 6, 2012 at the Tower Club. For the past 25 years, YLS has hosted local charity events with all net proceeds going directly to selected nonprofit organizations. YLS also hosted a Tee-Off Happy Hour, sponsored by Kelley / Uustal, on Oct. 4, 2012, at American Social on Las Olas to kick off the event and raise additional funds for FCF. South Florida public relations firm Boardroom Communications served as the event’s Exclusive Title Sponsor. Boardroom has won awards from JAFCO, FCF and Legal Aid Service of Broward County for its outstanding pro bono efforts.
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Little Rilya Wilson was born in 1996 to a homeless cocaine addict. Within two months, she was in state custody. Within a few years, she was living with Geralyn Graham and Pamela Graham (who are unrelated). By 2002, the state realized Rilya was no longer at the house. She would never been seen alive again by Florida child welfare officials. But does her lesson endure?
 Rilya Wilson - Photo Credit AP That’s the question some will ask as jury selection begins this week in the state’s case against Geralyn Graham. Rilya was living with Graham, now 66, when the child was last seen. Graham has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. She insists she’s innocent. A jury will decide.
But a decade on, what has society learned from the tale of Rilya and so many kids like her? If not for the news of Graham’s case, would any Floridians even remember Rilya’s story? Thousands of kids live in the Florida child care system. Some a treated well by loving, caring foster families. Others, suffer lives and fates unknown. We owe them better than that.
Rilya’s name is an acronym for “remember I love you always.” We may never learn Rilya’s true fate. But we should always remember their needs and support their rights to safe, loving lives.
This investigative series from the Tampa Bay Times explores the sad story of unlicensed religious children’s homes in Florida. While most promise righteousness through military-like exercise and recitation of Scripture, the stories reveal claims of practices that border on or include physical abuse, personal injury, wrongful death and other actions. It also highlights responses and findings from the Florida Department of Children and Families. For many advocates, guardians or attorneys keen to protect the rights of foster children or any in Florida’s at-risk population, the package deserves reading. Visit the entire package here.
(UPDATE) According to the Lakeland Ledger, the DCF promises to investigate the situation.
Child advocates and attorneys are alarmed that Carlton Palms Education Center, a halfway house and school for severely disabled people in Lake County, Florida, was accused in a complaint filed by state officials alleging that residents were being choked, beaten and dragged across the floor.
The state is petitioning the court to prevent Carlton Palms from accepting new patients. Worries exist over the possible extent of personal injury, physical abuse and other harm coming to the residents. Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ records reveal that since 2010, at least eight cases of confirmed abuse have been reported. “At least three of those cases this year led to felony arrests,” reported the Orlando Sentinel.
The paper continued, “Law-enforcement reports, as well as complaints filed by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, tell of disabled people who were bruised and battered by employees.”
Read the entire story here.
The following column by North Central Florida / Gainesville child advocate, foster child, and child sexual abuse attorney and criminal defense lawyer Gloria Fletcher appeared last week in newspapers in Gainesville and Ocala. The message – about the horror of child sexual abuse by “authority figures” like former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and Florida pastor James Harris – is equally terrifying no matter where the crimes occur.
Lost in the news of former Penn State University assistant coach Jerry Sandusky being sentenced to between 30 and 60 years for his conviction of sexually abusing young boys was equally disturbing news about James Harris, the Belle Glade, Florida, pastor convicted of sexually abusing teenage boys under his watch – and sentenced this week to 30 years in prison.
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Tallahassee, FL – August 27, 2025 – WJHG News Channel 7- New law makes moving easier for Florida foster families Moving is stressful enough, but for foster families in Florida, it’s often meant starting from scratch.
Miami, FL – August 14, 2025 – NBC 6 South Florida- North Miami couple arrested after kids found ‘severely malnourished’: Police A North Miami couple was arrested for child neglect after authorities said their two young children were found “severely malnourished” and one had arm and leg fractures.
Yorkville, IL – August 12, 2025 – Fox 32- Illinois lawmaker, DCFS dispute legality of intern investigators in child abuse cases An Illinois lawmaker is accusing the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of breaking state law by allowing uncertified interns to conduct child abuse and neglect investigations, while the agency says all investigators meet legal certification requirements.
Miami Gardens, FL – August 5, 2025 – CBS News- Miami Gardens mom faces neglect charges after nine children found living in “deplorable conditions,” police say A Miami Gardens mom is facing multiple counts of child neglect after police discovered nine children living in a home in “deplorable conditions,” according to Miami Gardens police.
Riviera Beach, FL – July 7, 2025 – CBS 12 News- DCF won’t comment after 7-year-old girl stomped to death; mom charged with murder It’s the agency with the most important mission in the state: keeping kids safe.
Tallahassee, FL – July 4, 2025 – WCJB- New Florida laws expand access to care for children with disabilities Children with disabilities across Florida will soon see more support, thanks to two new state laws aimed at improving access to care.
Clewiston, FL – May 27, 2025 – Fox 4- Clewiston city director arrested, accused of sending explicit texts to child A City of Clewiston operations director is facing serious charges – accused of sending sexually explicit texts to a 12-year-old girl.
Miami, FL – April 30, 2025 – NBC Miami- ‘Wish you well in hell’: Survivor quotes Cardi B as nurse gets life in adoptive daughter’s murder A Miami-Dade nurse convicted in the 2018 death of her 7-year-old adoptive daughter and the abuse of her other two adopted children was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.
Orlando, FL – April 29, 2025 – WFTV 9- Records show Florida knew about defects in application portal for DCF benefits For more than a year, Florida’s Department of Children and Families has been telling 9 Investigates there are no problems with the state’s website for SNAP and Medicaid benefits.
Springfield, IL – April 25, 2025 – Capitol News Illinois- Illinois community-based foster homes face insurance ‘crisis’ Insurance companies are reducing the scope of coverage for some community foster agencies in Illinois, leading to higher costs, diminished coverage and fewer options for agencies who say a continuance of the trend could lead to closures.
Miami, FL – April 1, 2025 – WPLG Local 10- Disgraced ex-NYC councilman caught with child sex abuse videos at Miami airport, feds say A former member of the New York City Council — who left office in disgrace leading up to a federal bribery conviction — is now in the feds’ crosshairs again: this time in South Florida.
Cook County, IL – March 24, 2025 – WCBU- Illinois’ child welfare agency failed to produce critical reports after child deaths The state agency responsible for keeping Illinois’ most vulnerable children safe has failed to produce legally required public reports after examining what went wrong in hundreds of cases of child deaths and thousands of serious injuries, the Illinois Answers Project reports.
Chicago, IL – March 22, 2025 – ABC 7 Chicago- Illinois child welfare agency’s reporting on abuse and deaths scrutinized The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is now under scrutiny for its lack of proper reporting on child abuse and neglect cases, according to a report from the Illinois Answers Project.
Tallahassee, FL – March 9, 2025 – WFSU- Two Florida state agencies announce new tools for combating human trafficking Two state agencies are working to identify kids vulnerable to sex trafficking before they’re victimized. The Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have announced an enhanced screening tool and new grant funding for law enforcement.
Chicago, IL – January 31, 2025 – NPR Illinois- DCFS launches new app for caseworkers and families The state of Illinois is rolling out a new app to help parents of abused and neglected children better communicate with their Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS] caseworkers and with other service providers.
Broward County, FL – January 30, 2025 – The Sun-Sentinel- Broward Sheriff’s Office will stop staffing juvenile detention center in May Blaming staff shortages and an unsafe building to work in, the Broward Sheriff’s Office will no longer send deputies to work at the state’s Department of Justice’s Juvenile Assessment Center.
Vernon, CT – November 19, 2024 – WLBT- Woman left 4 kids home alone in ‘filth’ for days while she took a trip to New York, police say A woman in Connecticut is accused of leaving her four kids alone for days while she took a trip to New York, according to authorities.
Flagler County, FL – November 10, 2024 – CBS 12- Flagler County middle school employee accused of attacking disabled student An employee at Indian Trails Middle School has been accused of child abuse after she was caught on camera striking a disabled student in an unprovoked attack.
Chicago, Il – November 8, 2024 – CBS News Chicago- Troubled teen who escaped DCFS caseworkers was not placed into secure facility after being found A 17-year-old with a violent history escaped from his caseworkers in Chicago last month, and it turns out the foster child in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was not placed in a secure facility recommended to the state after being brought back into custody.
Jacksonville, FL – September 20, 2024 – Action News Jax- Duval County teacher under investigation after 8-year-old is injured A Beauclerc Elementary School teacher is being investigated by Duval County Public Schools after a physical incident with an 8-year-old student.
Miami, FL – September 3, 2024 – Miami Herald- Rising costs of care could strain funding for Florida program for brain-damaged kids Facing withering criticism from parents, advocates, lawmakers and insurance regulators, Florida’s compensation program for children born with catastrophic brain injuries opened its bank account three years ago and improved the lives of some of the state’s most disabled children.
Orlando, FL – September 2, 2024 – Orlando Sentinel- Autism drowning deaths prompt push for children’s specialized swim lessons Drowning is the number one cause of death for kids with autism and Florida leads the nation in fatalies.
Aventura, FL – August 5, 2024 – WSVN News 7- Parents arrested after leaving toddler in hot car while they shopped at Target in Aventura, police say A man and woman were arrested on child abuse charges after allegedly leaving their 2-year-old child in a hot car while they shopped at Target in Aventura.
Austin, TX – July 18, 2024 – WPLG Local 10- Largest housing provider for migrant children engaged in pervasive sexual abuse, US says Employees of the largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children in the U.S. repeatedly sexually abused and harassed children in their care for at least eight years, the Justice Department said Thursday, alleging a shocking litany of offenses that took place as the company amassed billions of dollars in government contracts.
Daytona Beach, FL – July 9, 2024 – WESH 2- Police: Man arrested in Daytona Beach after dangling, dropping child off second-floor resort balcony A 31-year-old man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly dropping a 4-year-old off the second floor of a Daytona Beach resort, according to an affidavit from the police department.
Palm Coast, FL – July 7, 2024 – WSVN 7- Florida woman charged with child neglect after good Samaritan finds 2-year-old son wandering near busy road alone A good Samaritan found a 2-year-old boy wandering in a Florida neighborhood all alone, and now the child’s mother is facing charges after she was found fast asleep inside their home.
Homestead, FL – May 16, 2024 – WPLG Local 10- Homestead couple accused of murdering their 6-month-old baby girl Two 24-year-old parents brought their 6-month-old to Homestead Hospital in cardiac arrest Sunday afternoon; doctors found that the baby had no pulse and signs of severe child abuse, according to police.
Brevard County, FL – May 16, 2024 – WESH 2 Orlando- Family sues Brevard County day care for alleged child abuse and negligence An incident at a Brevard County day care involving a child and teacher has led to more allegations of child abuse and negligence after the Department of Children and Families studied surveillance video.
Chicago, IL – May 7, 2024 – WSIL – TV- Lawsuit alleges pervasive child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers for decades A group of 95 people filed a lawsuit in Illinois on Monday alleging they were sexually abused as children in juvenile detention centers across the state for over two decades.
Wildwood, FL – May 4, 2024 – Fox 35 Orlando- Florida DCF worker accused of abusing 11-year-old foster child A Kids Central employee was arrested after he aggressively threw an 11-year-old foster child onto a couch and hurt her, according to an arrest affidavit from the Wildwood Police Department.
Tallahassee, FL – May 3, 2024 – The Tampa Bay Times – Nearly 600,000 Florida kids shed from government health care, study says Nearly 600,000 Florida children lost their government-provided health insurance last year after the federal government ended the national COVID-related health emergency, more than any other state except Texas, according to a newly released report by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families.
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Rilya Wilson’s Death: Lessons Learned 10 Years On…
Gainesville, Florida, child advocate attorney Gloria Fletcher’s letter to the editor regarding Rilya Wilson’s senseless death was widely published. It raises key questions regarding the child abuse and wrongful death likely suffered by the young girl. The text of the letter follows…
Ten years after the disappearance of little Rilya Wilson, what have Floridians learned about her fate and the future of others in state’s child welfare system? What do we know about the system itself – and whether reforms have made kids any more safe?
It’s hard to say what we’ve learned. As the first-degree murder trial of her Rilya’s caretaker, Geralyn Graham, gets underway in Miami this week, too many questions linger about Rilya, Graham and the Department of Children and Families.
The state will plead its case for charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated child abuse against Graham, who in 2000 took in the 4-year-old foster child.
Read the rest of this entry »