Kelley Kronenberg is excited to announce that Kayla Riera-Gomez has joined the firm’s Justice for Kids Division as a Partner. Justice for Kids is a national practice dedicated to providing legal services to abused, disabled, and catastrophically injured children harmed in foster care, shelters, residential treatment centers, group homes, and other child welfare settings, as well as all children harmed by the acts of others.
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Author ArchiveSouth Florida Mother Fights for Greyson’s Law After the Tragic and Preventable Murder of Her 4-Year-Old SonAfter living a parent’s worst nightmare for six months, Ali Kessler, along with an army of Family Court advocates and local politicians, finally received news that Greyson’s Law was filed in the state of Florida. Kessler has been fighting for legislation that would allow judges to remove a child from a home over concerns that one parent is threatening or abusing the other. Kessler said to MSNBC, “I have to fight for my son who can’t fight for himself.” Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic, over 2,700 Children Came into the Custody of Illinois’ Already Struggling Child Welfare SystemA year and a half into the Covid-19 Pandemic, the existing problems with Illinois’ child welfare system have worsened. In April 2020, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received only 47% of the calls it did in April 2019. This drop in calls was largely attributed to the fact that children were confined to homes and not in as close contact with teachers, police officers, medical professionals, and other mandated reporters who would typically report problems to DCFS. Moreover, last March was the first time national abuse hotlines received a majority of calls from minors reporting on their own behalf. The drop in reports is a worrying trend, according to experts. About 80% of child sexual abuse cases occur without any witnesses. With many children still confined to their homes, the number of unreported abuses is likely to be shockingly high. Zoom provides some insight for teachers and medical professionals, but it does not always show the full picture of a child’s behavior. Families themselves have been going to police stations to report abuse. Tampa Bay Times: Eckerd Connects loses child welfare contract in Pinellas, PascoDCF terminates Eckerd Connect contract because of too many child deaths and for placing children in dangerous, risky and abusive placements. HANDY & Justice For Kids®are Partnering to Present “Finding Family & Friends As An Out Of Home Placement” Virtual Webinar On Wednesday, November 17Webinar Series will Educate Youth in the Foster Care System about their Rights WHAT: HANDY (Helping Abused Neglected Disadvantaged Youth) and Justice for Kids®, a Division of Kelley Kronenberg, proudly present “Finding Family & Friends as an Out of Home Placement,” a virtual webinar to educate youth in the foster care system about their rights. Multiple episodes will be held throughout 2021 and 2022. Florida DCF confirmed flaws with the handling of child abuse complaints concerning foster parents following USA TODAY storySeveral tragic cases of Justice for Kids Partner Stacie Schmerling were recently featured in USA Today concerning the failures of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to investigate and respond to credible complaints against foster care providers to ensure children are safe. Florida’s Children First Hosts CHILL For the Kids Virtual Wine Tasting and Celebrity Chef Demo in Jacksonville to Benefit Foster KidsSip, Swirl and Support Florida’s Premiere Youth Advocacy Organization on the Ultimate Zoom Escape to Napa Valley Florida’s Children First (FCF), an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the rights of at-risk children and youth in the foster care system, is hosting the CHILL for the Kids Virtual Wine Tasting and Celebrity Chef Demo fundraiser on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Patrons will enjoy a safe, socially-distanced and fun way to “escape” from their local surroundings for a bit, while allowing FCF the opportunity to raise funds and educate supporters on their mission of helping kids in and aging out of foster care. Howard Talenfeld Selected Once Again to Florida Trend 500Kelley Kronenberg and Justice for Kids are pleased to announce that Partner Howard Talenfeld has been selected by the executive editorial team of Florida Trend magazine for the annual Florida 500 list. This special publication, now in its fourth edition, highlights the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state. He has received this highly sought-after distinction every year since the list was first launched in 2018. Civil Rights of Children Violated — Only 37 Emergency Shelter Beds are Available for Youth Across Illinois while Specialized Foster Home Beds Have Not Been CreatedOver a thousand children came into state custody in 2020, yet there are less than 40 emergency shelter beds available to these kids, creating a crisis-level shortage of shelter beds. Currently, children that come into the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) have four options: 1) emergency shelters; 2) residential facilities; Civil Rights Violations of Hundreds of Children are Left in Psych Wards and Emergency Shelters after DCFS Eliminated Nearly 500 Residential BedsA Cook County Probate Judge ordered the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to “get your act together” after DCFS left hundreds of kids in psych words and temporary shelters for months, while taxpayers continually covered the bill. This year alone the bill was about $6.2 million. Judge Murphy added that leaving children in such a limbo isn’t care, it’s torture, and a violation of the Constitution. Charles Golbert, Cook County Public Guardian, agreed that this situation is a disgrace. Judge Murphy ordered DCFS to immediately find placements for eight of these children, “or else.” The State of Illinois has Been Collecting Foster Children’s Benefits to Reimburse Itself; New Legislation Aims to Move the Money to the ChildrenThe state of Illinois has been collecting the financial benefits for abused, neglected and abandoned children in foster care as state revenue rather than providing the benefits to the children. Last year, the benefits collected totaled over $14.2 million from sources such as disabilities or monies owed deceased parents from places like social security or veterans’ benefits. Many of the children are unaware of the benefits they qualify for because state agencies manage and collect the sums before the children ever find out. In 2018, the state of Illinois collected $13 million from foster children’s benefits to reimburse itself for things like food, clothing, and medical care. “The state already has a responsibility to provide those things, and it does not have to take this money,” said Congressman Danny Davis, who has proposed legislation that would allow the benefits to accumulate in an account that the children could access upon leaving the system. Howard Talenfeld Selected as an Honoree in South Florida Business & Wealth’s Legal AwardsThe Justice for Kids Division of Kelley Kronenberg is pleased to announce that Partner Howard Talenfeld has been selected as an Honoree in South Florida Business & Wealth’s First-Annual Legal Awards. South Florida Business & Wealth (SFBW) is South Florida’s premier business and lifestyle magazine serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. SFBW will host their first annual Legal Awards to celebrate the accomplishments, acumen, and dedication of the top-flight attorneys in the region. Honorees will be celebrated at an awards ceremony held on Thursday, November 4, 2021, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. |
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