Search
Donate

Interim DCF Chief Calls On Staff To Refocus; Child Advocates Say It”s A Start

By Sascha Cordner, WSFU
Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013

The new interim head of Florida’s child welfare agency is calling on her staff to refocus in the wake of the recent spate of child deaths associated with the agency. But, some child welfare advocates say there’s more work to do.

In recent weeks, there have been a handful of child deaths linked to the Florida Department of Children and Families and its investigators —the latest is a two-year-old who died over the weekend. The scandal has already caused former Secretary David Wilkins to step down and Esther Jacobo is now the new interim head. And, in a webcast Tuesday, Jacobo told a group of DCF staff it’s time the agency learned from these tragedies.

“So, I encourage you to refocus and look at all the things that we are doing. Every case must be the same importance as every other case on your caseloads. So, you must read every case as if it could be the next tragedy. And, this is not in order to—as they say in the vernacular—CYA. This is because it’s the right thing to do because each child and each family are counting on us to do that,” said Jacobo.

“Well, I think it’s a good place to start. I think there are some critical issues facing the agency at this point,” said Howard Talenfeld, the President of advocacy group Florida”s Children First.

Talenfeld says Jacobo needs to move the department back to being more transparent. And, he says it should start working with more community partners like it did before former Secretary Wilkins took the reins.

“And, if Secretary Jacobo can put this agency back on that track, that would be the first large step toward improving the system and the outcomes and safety for the foster care system,” added Talenfeld.

Talenfeld says he also applauds the efforts of Democratic Senator Eleanor Sobel of Hollywood, who he says will bring even more transparency to the child welfare agency. As the head of the Florida Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee, Sobel is expected to hold a hearing on the child deaths in September.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on twitter @SaschaCordner.

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp

Related Posts

Stay In Touch

Sign up for our Newsletter
Board PhotosHeadshots (6)

Alexia Nechayev

FYS Events & Meeting Chair
(Palm Beach/Miami)

Alexia Nechayev, from Miami, Florida, is a dedicated advocate for youth with lived experience in foster care and with homelessness. After being placed in foster care as a teenager, Alexia experienced firsthand the stigma surrounding the system, as well as the challenges of navigating a system that didn’t provide support for her to advocate for herself. This experience motivated her to create change, ensuring that other youth in care have the tools and resources she lacked.

She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University, and upon graduation worked as a Hope Navigator with the Department of Children and Families which allowed her to assist clients through individualized care plans, further deepening her commitment to improving the lives of marginalized youth. Alexia is now applying to law schools with the goal of advancing her advocacy work through a legal career. As the Events and Meetings Chair for Florida Youth SHINE (FYS), she creates opportunities for foster and homeless youth to collaborate and push for meaningful change. She is also an active member of the Policy and Initiative Team for Florida Youth SHINE, where she helps create and shape policies that directly impact youth in foster care. One of her proudest accomplishments is helping to develop the Foster Care Bill of Rights, a law that she feels would have made a difference during her own time in care.

In addition to her work with FYS, Alexia serves on the Board of Directors for the parent organization of FYS, Florida’s Children First. In this role, she contributes to strategic decision-making while advocating for the rights and welfare of children statewide.

Every year, she travels to the state capitol to advocate for bills she and her peers have helped shape, including key pieces of legislation that benefit foster and homeless youth. However her advocacy extends beyond her state, as she represents Florida Youth SHINE at national conferences such as the National Leaders 4 Change Conference.

Through her internship with the National Foster Youth Institute, Alexia continues to refine her advocacy skills, preparing for a future where she can contribute meaningfully to both policymaking and the legal system. Guided by the belief that “the blue sky is always there,” she remains committed to ensuring that every youth in foster care has the power and support to advocate for themselves.

Skip to content