Florida’s Legal Online Resource, Information Driven Access – F4CF is a resource for all attorneys and judges who work in the child welfare and juvenile delinquency arenas. Any lawyer or judge who registers can use this online network, for free. F4CF will create an instant community of lawyers who are focused on child welfare, juvenile […]

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT: EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE AN ATTORNEY IN CHILD WELFARE PRO-CEEDINGS IN FLORIDA

To fully appreciate the impetus for creating the Regis Little Subcommittee of the Legal Needs of Children Committee of The Florida Bar, you have to know the story about its namesake. A foster child who had recently “aged out of the system,” Regis Little was 18 when he was found stabbed to death in a […]

On June 1st the Rules of Juvenile Procedure will require judges to inquire why children are not present for dependency court hearings. This brochure explains the rule change and answers many questions about children’s appearance in court. Please print and distribute to children in care, their caregivers and advocates.

This article was originally published in The Florida Bar Journal Volume 86, number 5, May 2012 and is reprinted with permission of The Florida Bar.

This report examines how Florida’s system of child representation evolved, which children are supposed to get representation today, and which communities provide counsel to children. It also provides a list of the programs that provide counsel for children in each judicial circuit and shows what percentage of children in each community potentially have access to […]

This publication of the Center for the Study of Social Policy examines numerous aspects of the use of class action litigation to achieve systemic reform of child welfare systems of care.

This manual is intended as a practice guide for attorneys and advocates representing children with disabilities who have been injured or damaged by such unsound techniques in the educational setting.

This publication provides information for public child welfare agencies and social workers when working with incarcerated parents and their children.

This booklet informs pregnant and parenting youth in foster care of their Rights and Resources. Published by the National Crittenton Foundation

The Florida Kinship Center empowers, served and advocates for kinship caregivers and their families.

This handbook provides a wealth of information for relatives who are caring for children. Topics include custody, benefits, education.

September 22, 2011 FCF coordinated and facilitated a CLE presentation for the Florida Bar Legal Needs of Children.   Three hours of ethics CLE are now available on the web at: http://centervideo.forest.usf.edu/legethics/legethics.html

Children and young adults are entitled to a complete and accurate copy of their child welfare records under Florida Statute 39.00145. This publication explains the law and provides a form to help youth make a formal request for records.

This handbook helps youth understand what actions can get you in trouble with the law. It identifies the acts for which minors are often charged, illustrates the behavior that can result in arrest, and highlights the consequences of arrest and adjudication. This is a publication of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Center on Children and Families, March 2009, revised September 2010.

The mission of the Center on Children and Families is to promote the highest quality of advocacy, teaching and scholarship in the areas of child & family law and policy.

Florida Practice Guidelines for Lawyers Who Represent Children in Abuse and Neglect Case

These materials contain many of the items used to obtain a name change and to update government documents.

These are materials for use with the Name Change Packet.

Practical advice as to how to stay safe when you encounter police. Prepared by the Law Offices of Miami-Dade Public Defender Bennett H. Brummer. 2008.

This Guide for Judges, Lawyers, and Child Advocates provides critical information on immigration issues faced by children who were abused, abandoned, or neglected. Written by Wendi J. Adelson in collaboration with the Immigrant Children’s Legal Services Partnership and the Children and Youth Law Clinic of the University of Miami School of Law. June 2010. Click […]

This Report shares the results of a survey of local, state and national policies concerning the shackling of juvenile offenders. Produced by the Center on Children and Families at the University of Florida Levin College of Law

This rule governs the conduct of attorneys who represent children.

This publication by the Florida Institutional Legal Services is an important resource for parents or caregivers who are, or about to be incarcerated.

The Center’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children through advancements in law, justice, and public policy.

This report quantifies the foster care bias in juvenile detention decisions, and shows that a relatively simple intervention can eliminate it for juveniles facing low-level offenses and with no prior records. Produced by the Vera Institute of Justice, New York City Administration for Children’s Services. (June 2001)

The Bulletin examines access to legal counsel in the juvenile justice system. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) written by Judith B. Jones, M.A., Spec. H.S.A. (June 2004)

Final Palm Beach Grand Jury Report on the Investigation of the Florida Institute for Girls, a Dept. of Juvenile Justice facility run by Premier Behavioral Solutions. January 29, 2004.