When is a dog more than a pet? When it’s 7-year-old Anthony Merchante’s service dog, Stevie. For child advocates and those who fight for the rights of children who suffer illness and need services, Anthony’s case was one of the system preventing the school child from the care only his... View Article
Results & verdicts
more results & verdictsCategories for Child Advocacy
Join Florida’s Children First as Broward Awards Honors Advocates for At-Risk, Foster Kids
On February 26, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County and Miami attorneys, foster abuse lawyers, child care guardians and those who advocate for Florida’s abused, neglected and injured child will attend the 2015 Broward Child Advocacy Awards & Reception. The annual event from Florida’s Children First, brings together people who care about... View Article
The drowning death of Phoebe Jonchuck, who allegedly was thrown into Tampa Bay by her mentally ill father, caused Florida’s child advocates and attorneys who fight for abused children, as well as the Florida Department of Children and Families itself, to explore what went wrong. Now, legislators want answers, too.... View Article
Domestic Violence Should Join Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse as Red Flags in DCF Cases
Any child advocate or child abuse attorney who fights to protect children from child abuse or other harm knows the confluence of domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness create a toxic cocktail that can place children in harm’s way. Little Phoebe Jonchuck, 5, reportedly was surrounded by all three.... View Article
This document, by Daniel Pollack, a professor at Yeshiva University, School of Social Work, New York City, and a frequent expert witness in child abuse and foster care abuse cases, explores the role of videotaping investigative interviews with children suspected of having been sexually abused. The U.S. Supreme Court has not... View Article
Child Abuse Attorney, Foster Child Lawyer Howard Talenfeld Named ‘Champion for Children’
Pioneering children’s rights attorney and child physical abuse and sexual abuse lawyer Howard Talenfeld was profiled recently for his being named a Champion for Children by Florida’s Children First, the state’s premier children’s advocacy organization. Talenfeld was lauded for his career spent protecting for the rights of children abused, injured... View Article
The Legacy of Phoebe Jonchuck: More Reforms Needed to Improve Child Protections
When Mike Carroll, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, told panel committees from the Florida House and Senate in the wake of Phoebe Jonchuck’s death at the foot of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge earlier this month that a “sad irony” had also occurred, it highlighted a stark... View Article
Child Advocate Attorney: ‘Landmark’ Medicaid Ruling to Help Kids Get Healthcare
In what one child advocate and children’s rights attorney called a “landmark” ruling in support of protections for the state’s poor and most vulnerable citizens, a federal judge ruled recently that Florida’s Medicaid program violates several federal laws when it comes to healthcare for children. Howard Talenfeld, director of the... View Article
In a case that could help ensure Florida’s at-risk children in the care of the Department of Children and Families and in need of mental health services get the treatment they require, a Miami child welfare judge has demanded that Florida DCF officials appear in court to explain their actions. The... View Article
Florida Child Advocates Laud Judge’s Ruling on Medical Costs for Needy Kids
In an important win for Florida’s most vulnerable children – and the doctors and advocates who serve them, a U.S. federal judge this week ruled that the state’s healthcare system for those children violates various federal laws. The move follows a decade-long battle by pediatricians who care for those kids,... View Article