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Archive for the ‘Florida’s Children First’ Category

Florida Youth Shine Reaches 10 Year Milestone

January 18th, 2016   No Comments   Advocacy, Florida Youth Shine, Florida's Children First, Foster Care

Florida’s Children First (FCF) proudly celebrates 10 years of Florida Youth SHINE Advocacy! After FCF was established in 2002, Florida Youth SHINE was formed so that foster children could tell their stories and advocate for legislative change.

For the past ten years Florida Youth SHINE, a statewide organization now consisting of more than 200 former and current foster children, has been advocating around the state and in the Florida Legislature, for positive change to the system of care by using their experience and stories. In 2005, Florida’s Children First, a statewide group of child advocates (www.floridaschildrenfirst.org)  created Florida Youth SHINE because it believed that the youth are the experts and when making decisions about youth and it is critical to have a youth voice at the table. Florida Youth SHINE empowers their members to identify and share the issues they experienced and work for solutions through advocacy. One of the ways they do this is by educating others about the issues and improvements that need to be made.

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South Florida Advocates to Honor Those Who Help Abused, Neglected Kids

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

Business executives, civic leaders and attorneys who advocate for the rights of those who suffer child abuse, personal injury and other harm and neglect will gather in February for the Florida’s Children First 2016 Broward Reception. The event will be held Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 5:30PM at the The Riverside Hotel (620 East Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale).

At the annual fundraiser and awards event, Florida’s Children First – the state’s premier child advocacy organization – will honor child advocates who strive to make a difference in the lives of the state’s most vulnerable kids.

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Florida’s Children First to Host Jacksonville Awards & Reception

October 11th, 2015   No Comments   Advocacy, Florida's Children First

Florida’s Children First, the state’s advocacy organization for foster kids and those at risk of child abuse, sexual abuse, and personal injury, will hold its Northeast Florida / Jacksonville Child Advocacy Awards & Reception. Attended by attorneys, lawmakers and business leaders, the event will be held on Thursday, November 12th, 2015, from 5:30 pm- 7:30pm, at The Haskell Building (111 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, 34236). Register here. Learn more by downloading the flyer.

At Florida’s Children First, we believe that all children have the right to food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, property and personal privacy. Most children have parents who take care of their needs and protect their rights. But thousands of children in Florida rely on state agencies to meet some or all of their needs. FCF exists to protect the rights of those children.

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Foster Child Abuse Advocacy Group Wins State Bar Award

October 2nd, 2015   No Comments   Abuse, Advocacy, Florida's Children First

Florida’s Children First, the pioneering advocacy organization that fights for foster children and others who have been physically abused, neglected, injured, and victims of sexual abuse, was named the the 2015 recipient of The Florida Bar Foundation’s Paul C. Doyle Children’s Advocacy Award.

Founded by leading foster child advocacy attorney and foster child personal injury attorney Howard Talenfeld, Florida’s Children First, with the support from a Florida Bar Foundation Children’s Legal Services grant, advocated successfully for passage of the 2014 legislation, which provides attorneys to protect dependent children with special needs who are in the state custody. The Florida Legislature also appropriated $4.5 million in 2014 to fund attorneys to represent these at-risk children. The bills were sponsored by Sen. Bill Galvano and Rep. Erik Fresen.

Established in 2013 in honor of Doyle, the Foundation’s longtime grant program director, the award recognizes and encourages systemic legal advocacy on behalf of low-income children by Florida Bar Foundation grantees. Florida’s Children First received the award June 25 at the Foundation’s 39th Annual Reception and Dinner in Boca Raton for its Counsel for Dependent Children with Special Needs Project.

Talenfeld, a leading children’s rights attorney, called the legislation historic when it was passed last year.  Florida’s Children First will work to ensure continued funding, a top priority following a $2.2 million appropriation in 2015.

“These children need all the additional protections they can get,” Talenfeld said.

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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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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Florida’s Children First Earns Prestigious Child Advocacy Award

July 16th, 2015   No Comments   Florida's Children First

Florida’s Children First, the premier statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the rights of at-risk children and youth, especially those in foster care, received from the Florida Bar Foundation the recipient of the 2015 Paul Doyle Children’s Advocacy Award for its “Counsel for Dependent Children with Special Needs” Project.

Through the passing of House Bill 561 last year, this project secured the right to counsel for dependent children in five categories. FCF and Florida Legal Services were also selected as second runner-up for the “Medicaid to Age 26” Project.

The awards were presented at Foundation’s 39th Annual Reception & Dinner at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

“Since our beginning in 2002, Paul Doyle and the Foundation believed in FCF’s mission to seek legal representation for Florida’s most vulnerable children. To receive the Foundation’s most prestigious award is the highest achievement that we as an organization aspire to,” said Howard Talenfeld, president of FCF.

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