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Foster Child Abuse Attorney: Psychotropics and Kids Wrong Mix

September 24th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Department of Children & Families (DCF), Personal Injury

The 2009 death of 7-year-old Gabriel Myers, an abused foster child found hanging from a shower fixture in his foster home in Margate, Florida, shone a bright light on the state’s policy of allowing doctors to prescribe psychotropic drugs on foster kids. His suicide was a horrible tragedy – one that led to outrage and supposed reform. Six years later, advocates and attorneys who fight for the rights of foster children who suffer child abuse, sexual abuse, and other physical and personal injury have discovered little has changed.

Gabriel Myers (image from Florida DCF)The same “black box” medications Gabriel had received, even though they were intended for adults, at the time were part of a list the Department of Children and Families found were given to 16 percent of cases where foster kids were medicated – often without the consent of a parent or judge.

Despite all this, the practice continues. The preliminary report from the researchers with Florida’s child-protection system revealed that 11 percent of foster kids today are prescribed these psychotropic medications without caregivers following proper procedures, according to the Florida Institute on Child Welfare at Florida State University.

That’s 2,434 of 21,899 children who had open prescriptions for at least one psychotropic drug. Further, of 140 of the children’s files reviewed, only one in five met the requirements for administering psychotropic medications, often with consent forms that were completed late – if they were completed at all.

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Attorneys, Advocates for Child Abuse Victims Gather for FCF Awards

September 22nd, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Florida's Children First

This week, child advocates, attorneys who fight for abused, neglected, and injured children, business leaders, and others interested in protecting Florida’s foster children from sexual abuse, physical neglect, and other personal injury, gathered for the annual Orlando fundraiser for Florida’s Children First (FCF). The event was held Sept. 17.

Founded by Howard Talenfeld, the state’s premier child abuse personal injury attorney, the preeminent statewide advocacy organization FCF honored child advocates in Orlando at its annual fundraising and awards event. Community and business leaders and all other persons concerned about the future of Florida’s children, especially abused, abandoned and neglected children and youth, gathered to laud Child Advocate of the Year, Melissa Landry.

Ms. Landry is not only Guardian ad Litem volunteer, but she is a true child advocate. Ms. Landry’s commitment to children is more than a personal decision, it is a family affair. Ms. Landry and her mother Brenda have both been Guardians ad Litem for more than six years and went through training at the same time.

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Fort Lauderdale Child Abuse Attorney Recognized for Career Spent Helping Neglected Kids

September 17th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, News & Events

Throughout her career, Stacie Schmerling, a lawyer and partner with Fort Lauderdale foster child abuse law firm Talenfeld Law, has pursued the child advocacy and protection. Now, Stacie has rightfully been recognized by one of South Florida’s leading legal and professional publications for her accomplishments.

STACIEThe Daily Business Review recognized Stacie as a “Rising Star,” making her one of 40 Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach county civil practitioners and law firm partners who hold leadership or mentoring positions within their firms and have advocated for their clients. In Stacie’s case, those clients have included children physically abused, sexually abused, neglected, or injured while under the care of or known to be at risk by state social services organizations.

Her story in the DBR begins below. We applaud Stacie for her successes. Honestly, though, the praise she’s receiving from the DBR is something her partners, peers, and clients have realized for years.

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3 Tips to Avoid Abuse by Youth Sports Coaches: See Something, Say Something

August 14th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Commentary

The news media recently reported about a youth league baseball coach being arrested – for at least a second time – for molesting children under his supervision. He was identified as a longtime coach with a South Florida Optimist Club. Parents had allowed the coach to have unsupervised sleepovers with a player from his team, “despite the multiple previous arrests involving molestation on his record,” the media reported.

The previous arrests led to no convictions, so background checks the league says it performed came up clean.

That is not good enough. Parents with children in youth sports or cheerleading programs must be vigilant in protecting their children from physical abuse, sexual abuse and the harm from predators.

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Leading Child Abuse Attorney Howard Talenfeld Named a 2015 Civil Rights Super Lawyer

August 8th, 2015   No Comments   Advocacy

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Howard M. Talenfeld, one of the nation’s preeminent children’s rights attorneys, was selected to the Florida Super Lawyers Magazine’s 2015 Civil Rights Super Lawyers list. Only five percent of attorneys in Civil Rights Law are awarded this honor. Talenfeld has also been named in the “Top 100: 2014 Miami Super Lawyers” list, which recognizes attorneys garnering the highest point totals in the Florida nomination, research and review process.

Talenfeld is the Founder and Managing Partner of Talenfeld Law, the first law firm in Florida to focus exclusively on protecting the rights of physically and sexually abused, medically fragile, foster and other at-risk children. He is known throughout the legal community and national media as having established the nation’s premier children’s rights practice. His work on behalf of at-risk individuals has earned multimillion dollar awards and resulted in sweeping judicial and legislative reforms.

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Like the Broward Bar Young Lawyers, Raise Money to Help Florida’s At-Risk Foster Kids

July 22nd, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Florida's Children First

In our shared mission to help and protect children and foster children who are the victims of sex abuse, child abuse, emotional harm and other abuses, the Young Lawyers Section of the Broward County Bar Association has partnered with Florida’s Children First for a fundraising effort through August 1st.

For every FACEBOOK LIKE that the Young Lawyers section gets, they will donate $1 to FCF, up to $1500. Just:

1. Click HERE to access the Young Lawyers page
2. Click the like button of the Young Lawyers’ Facebook page

That’s it!

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Former Foster Kids Highlighted in NBC6 Forever Family Profile

June 3rd, 2015   No Comments   Advocacy

Florida’s Children First, the state’s premier advocacy organization supporting foster children state-wide, strives to work closely with other groups and services that highlight the challenges and successes of foster kids throughout Florida. FCF thanks Forever Family, Gia Tutalo-Mote and their affiliates for documenting Florida Youth SHINE’s efforts this year to bring awareness to the issues that affect our foster youth.

In the video below, NBC6, which often features a child waiting in foster care to be adopted, recently introduced viewers to three remarkable former foster kids, who were never adopted, but who have taken their fight for children’s right all the way to Tallahassee.

Team 6’s Gia Tutalo-Mote was right there with them.

Forever Family news stories and on-air promotions highlight children in foster care who are searching for adoptive families, teens ‘aging out’ of foster care, and issues relating to the the American foster care crisis. These stories air on major broadcast television stations and are crafted to engage and motivate the public to action.

Florida Child Advocates Offer Summer Safety Tips

May 29th, 2015   No Comments   Advocacy, Department of Children & Families (DCF)

As the school year comes to a close, families throughout the state will be seeking programs to ensure their children are safe while the parents work. With many kids each year becoming the victims of child abuse by caregivers, sitters and employees of summer camps, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is warning families to take precautions. Below are tips and reminders to help parents keep their children safe during the summer season.

The campaign explores three common areas: choosing a summer camp, finding a caregiver, and ensuring your child is safe around water.

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Florida’s Child Advocates See End to Needless Foster Child Deaths

May 21st, 2015   No Comments   Advocacy

To any advocate or attorney who works to protect abused children, neglected kids or others at harm, when a foster child or any youngster dies under the care of his family or the watch of a state agency or organization tasked with his or her care, that epitomizes a “needless” child death. Three organizations have banded together to highlight the worst examples of preventable child deaths – shaken baby syndrome, co-sleeping and drowning.

“These are very tragic situations that are preventable,” said one child services administrator behind the new Tampa Bay area campaign to address preventing the three most common ways kids under 5 are dying in large numbers. Learn more at www.preventneedlessdeaths.com.

“It’s a great time to launch this campaign to get the attention of parents as we approach the summer months, the vacation time. Families are going to be vacationing in hotels at their favorite vacation spot and there’s going to be bodies of water there and children need to be watched closely.”

Learn even more by clicking here.

The campaign is a collaboration between the Department of Children and Families, the Children’s Board, Eckerd Community Alternatives and the Juvenile Welfare Board. We all can learn from the initiative.

Serious Red Flags Missed in Death of Hollywood Boy: Florida Child Abuse Lawyer

May 3rd, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Commentary, Department of Children & Families (DCF)

South Florida child abuse attorney and child sexual abuse lawyer Howard Talenfeld was interviewed this week on CBS News regarding the case of 3-year-old Ahziya Osceola. The Seminole Indian boy was discovered abused and dead in his Hollywood home after his family had reported him missing. Now, charges have been filed against his father and stepmother – and questions have been raised about how child protective service providers CHildNet, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families failed to communicate with one another to ensure Ahziya was safe.

As was made clear in the reporting and Talenfeld’s interview, Ahziya’s case was well known by various organizations. But the sharing of information critical to ensuring his safety was “inconsistent and insufficient.”

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South Florida Child Abuse Lawyer: Society Must Do Better Than Letting Children Suffer in Closet

April 20th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Department of Children & Families (DCF)

Imagine living life locked in a closet, deprived of food, medical care, even the use of a bathroom. Now imagine being a child or young teen suffering such child abuse and neglect. This tale emerged as police in Palm Beach County arrested a couple who kept their two children, now ages 12 and 17, locked up in a closet. No matter how much attention child advocates and foster child abuse attorneys try to focus on the harm and horrors inflicted on our children, the abuse and neglect continue.

In this case, police say the children would be locked in the closet in their Riviera Beach home for days on end, and nobody would notice they were missing. One child eventually was able to escape and reach a friend.

Police have arrested Quincy Hazel Sr., and Sabrina Golden-Hazel, both 44, accusing them of depriving the children of medical care and food for years. They’re accused of neglect of a child causing great bodily harm and both were in the Palm Beach County Jail on $100,000 bail. Still, police are unsure if the couple were the children’s parents.

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Lauren’s Kids Report: Child Sexual Abuse Costs Florida Billions of Dollars

March 11th, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, News & Events

Florida child sexual abuse attorneys and advocates who work to protect victims of abuse know the costs of such harm go far beyond what’s typically reported. Child sexual abuse is a billion-dollar drain on Florida’s economy. It’s cost is immeasurable to the health, welfare and well-being of Florida’s children who are victims of sexual abuse and physical abuse.

A recent study, from child sexual abuse awareness organization Lauren’s Kids, found that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys have experienced or will experience child sexual abuse (CSA). The numbers are far too high, and society must do far more to help lower the numbers – and protect children.

According to the report, “children are most vulnerable to sexual abuse between the ages of 7 and 13, yet most cases of child sexual abuse go unreported.” In Florida alone in 2012, 67,087 cases of child abuse and maltreatment were investigated. It is believed that countless more instances of such abuse were unreported. For the state’s 205,000 third graders alone, for example, upward of 31,000 will become victims.

The figure is astronomical, heartbreaking and economically devastating for victims and their families.

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