Latest news with #FloridaDepartmentofChildrenandFamilies
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bay County celebrates families reunited in Reunification Month
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – June is National Reunification Month, which is a time to celebrate and honor families who have overcome challenges and successfully reunited. According to a news release, the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit in Bay County, Florida, which serves Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties, will commemorate reunified families and their heroes. This specific event celebrates those families who have successfully reunited with their children, with involvement from the Florida Department of Children and Families and associated agencies. FWC announces recreational harvest closure of the gray triggerfish The Reunification Celebration will take place on Friday, June 6, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Bay County Courthouse, 300 East 4th Street. Court hearings will take place to reunify families and monitor the status of those previously unified. A reception will follow the court hearings at the Northwest Florida Health Network/Twin Oaks Community Services Offices at 910 Harrison Avenue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
School's out for most students. What age can you leave a child home alone in Florida?
Beginning this afternoon on Friday, May 30, nearly every Florida public school student will officially be on summer break. This means parents and guardians now have to find ways to keep kids busy until school starts again in August. Bouncing around from daycare to summer camps to relative's houses can easily add up. According to childcare agency Tootris, the average annual cost of full-time child care in Florida can range from $9,139 to $12,639, depending on the children's age. With these expenses, some families might be wondering if their children are ready to stay home alone. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make the decision. Florida doesn't have clear laws that specify an exact age for when children can legally stay home alone. It's up to parents to decide when their children are old enough. The state agency overseeing the welfare of children recommends they not be left home alone before age 12. The state does have more specific laws surrounding child abandonment and neglect. According to Florida State Statutes, it is a felony of the third degree to deprive a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends children should not be left alone before the age of 12. It also notes that older siblings should not supervise younger children until 15. Of the states that have laws regarding when children can be left home alone, the age requirement varies widely. On the lower end of the spectrum, Kansas allows children 6 to 9 years old to be left home alone for short periods, and children 10 and over to be left alone for 'somewhat longer periods.' Among other factors, the Kansas guidance adds that parents should weigh their kids' level of maturity and behavior in the absence of adults before leaving children alone. On the other end, Illinois law says any person who leaves a child under 14 years old 'without supervision for an unreasonable period' is guilty of neglect. Several states, such as Tennessee and Washington, do not have an official age requirement but recommend children are at least 10 years old before staying home alone. Most experts agree that whether or not a child is ready to stay home alone depends on the individual child and parent. To help determine if your child is ready for the responsibility, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign shared a list of questions to get a better idea: Is my child comfortable, confident and willing to stay home alone? Does my child consistently follow my rules and guidelines? Has my child demonstrated good independent judgment and problem-solving skills in the past? Is my child able to stay calm and not panic when confronted with unexpected events? Have I brainstormed with my child about what unexpected situations could possibly come up while he or she is alone, and how to handle them? Is my child consistently truthful with me? Does he or she readily come to me with problems and concerns? Does my child understand the importance of safety and know basic safety procedures? Will my child make decisions to stay safe, even at the risk of seeming rude or overly cautious to other children or adults? Does my child have the ability to calmly provide his/her name, address, phone number and directions to our home in an emergency? Can my child lock and unlock the doors and windows of our home? Can my child tell time? Is my child able to work independently on homework? Have my child and I established a clearly structured routine for when he or she is home alone, with defined responsibilities and privileges? If I have more than one child staying home, have the children demonstrated the ability to get along well and solve conflicts without physical fighting or adult intervention? Have my child and I had some 'dry runs' to allow him or her to practice self-care skills while I am at home, butpurposefully 'not available'? Is our neighborhood safe? Do we have neighbors that my child and I know and trust? Once you have determined that your child is ready to stay home alone, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families shared tips to help caregivers prepare children for being home alone: Have a trial period and start small. When your child is ready, leave them home alone for a short time while staying close to home. This is a good way to see how they will manage. Talk about it beforehand. Encourage your child to share their feelings with you about staying home alone and address any thoughts or concerns they may have before leaving home alone. Teach them about safety. Before leaving your child home alone, make sure they are mature enough to handle the responsibility and understand the safety rules. Develop a family emergency plan to help them handle those situations, such as what to do in case of a fire, power outage, or stranger approaching the house. Practice basic first aid and teach them what to do if they have to contact emergency services, perhaps including a role play. Establish family rules and set boundaries. Set clear guidelines about what your child can and cannot do while home alone. Establish rules for screen time, internet usage, and the use of kitchen appliances or any other potentially dangerous items. Don't overdo it. Avoid leaving your child at home alone overnight or for overly frequent periods. Consider other options or resources, such as family or friends or programs offered by their school, community centers, youth organizations, or faith-based groups, to help with supervising your child. Follow up. After your child is left home alone (including during any trial period), talk about the experience with them. How did they feel about it? Were they nervous? Did anything unexpected come up? If they were watching another child, ask how they felt about doing so. While some schedules are still being finalized, almost every Florida school is proposed to start the 2025-2026 school year on the first possible date — Monday, Aug. 11 — after Aug. 10. Here's when most counties go back to school: Alachua: Aug. 11 Baker: Aug. 11 Bay: Aug. 11 Bradford: Aug. 12 Brevard: Aug. 11 Broward: Aug. 11 Charlotte: Aug. 11 Citrus: Aug. 11 Clay: Aug. 11 Collier: Aug. 11 Columbia: Aug. 11 Dixie: Aug. 11 Duval: Aug. 11 Escambia: Aug. 11 Flagler: Aug. 11 Glades: Aug. 11 Gulf: Aug. 11 Hamilton: Aug. 11 Hendry: Aug. 11 Hernando: Aug. 11 Highlands: Aug. 11 Hillsborough: Aug. 11 Holmes: Aug. 13 Indian River: Aug. 11 Jefferson: Aug. 11 Lake: Aug. 11 Lee: Aug. 11 Leon: Aug. 11 Levy: Aug. 11 Manatee: Aug. 11 Marion: Aug. 11 Martin: Aug. 11 Miami-Dade: Aug. 14 Monroe: Aug. 13 Nassau: Aug. 11 Okaloosa: Aug. 11 Okeechobee: Aug. 11 Orange: Aug. 11 Osceola: Aug. 11 Palm Beach: Aug. 11 Pasco: Aug. 26 Pinellas: Aug. 11 Polk: Aug. 11 Putnam: Aug. 11 Santa Rosa: Aug. 11 Sarasota: Aug. 11 Seminole: Aug. 11 St. Johns: Aug. 11 St. Lucie: Aug. 11 Sumter: Aug. 13 Suwannee: Aug. 11 Union: Aug. 11 Volusia: Aug. 11 Wakulla: Aug. 12 Washington: Aug. 11 Contributing: Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida laws on leaving kids home alone: What do they say?
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mother and stepfather of girl who died after alleged abuse charged with murder
The mother and stepfather of a 5-year-old girl who died after they allegedly subjected her to horrendous abuse have been charged with murder. Daniel Spencer, 35, and Chloe Spencer, 23, were arrested on aggravated battery of a child and other charges on the day of Missy Mogle's death. They pleaded not guilty and were ordered held in the Leon County Detention Facility without bond. On Monday, May 27, Assistant State Attorney Adrian Mood filed an information upgrading their charges to second-degree murder. "The autopsy hasn't been completed yet, but we've discussed with law enforcement and the medical examiner, and based on what we've received, the cause of death is homicide," Mood told the Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee police were called to the Spencers' home in Southwood on the morning of May 19 after Missy Mogle stopped breathing, according to arrest reports. She was taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, where she was pronounced dead. Missy was found with injuries 'from head to toe,' including ligature marks around her wrists and burns on her fingers, according to a confidential Florida Department of Children and Families report obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat. Officers seized memory cards from in-home surveillance cameras showing Daniel Spencer hitting Missy and binding her hands and feet together, according to arrest reports. Missy's loved ones said she was raised by her grandparents in Wakulla County for most of her life before a judge granted custody to Chloe Spencer. The Spencers were residing at a house owned by a retired Tallahassee physician, who alerted investigators to the surveillance cameras. Both Chloe Spencer and Daniel Spencer are scheduled to have pretrial detention hearings, though on different dates and before different judges. Chloe Spencer will appear May 30 before Leon Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh; Daniel Spencer will appear June 6 before Leon Circuit Judge Tiffany Carper-Baker. Check back with for more on this developing new story. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@ or 850-599-2180. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee stepfather, mom charged with murder in girl's abuse death
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mother charged with neglect after toddlers found wandering alone in Volusia County
The Brief A Volusia County mother is charged with child neglect after her three toddlers were found walking unsupervised on a busy Edgewater street. Neighbors intervened, calling 911 and shielding the children from potential harm. Police say the mother left them home alone for nearly an hour while she went to the store. EDGEWATER, Fla. - A Volusia County mother is facing child neglect charges after her three young children were found wandering alone along a busy street in Edgewater over the weekend. What we know Ruby Mensah, 28, was arrested on Sunday in Edgewater, Florida, after her three young children — ages 4, 3, and 1 —were found walking alone on Woodland Drive. Police say Mensah left the children unsupervised for at least 48 minutes while she went to the store. The children were barefoot and, in one case, partially unclothed, drawing concern from neighbors who called 911. What we don't know Authorities have not said whether Mensah has a prior history with child protective services. It's also unclear whether she will face further legal consequences beyond the initial neglect charges or whether the children have been permanently removed from her custody. Officials did not say whether further investigation is ongoing. The backstory The incident unfolded on a hot weekend afternoon when multiple residents spotted toddlers wandering separately along a busy residential street. The vehicle Mensah used lacked car seats, but another car at her residence was properly outfitted, raising further questions about her decision-making. What they're saying Concerned residents called 911 and worked together to bring the toddlers to safety. "One of them doesn't have any pants on. The other one is maybe four or five," one caller told dispatchers. "And then I have a little girl, uh, wandering the middle of the street too. It's hot out and her feet have got to be burning." Edgewater police say Mensah left the children home alone for at least 48 minutes while she went to the store. "She shouldn't have done that. Absolutely not," said neighbor Harold Anderson. "I would have watched the kids. A number of parents here would've watched the kids." Neighbor Amy Lemon, who lives two doors down, said the outcome could have been tragic. "They could have been killed. They could have been run over by a car," she said. What's next The children were taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Mensah was charged with three counts of child neglect. She was released on bond hours after her arrest. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Edgewater Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and Edgewater residents Harold Anderson and Amy Lemon.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Redundant agency': Child welfare groups doubt Hope Florida's foster care claims
Hope Florida helped more than 21,000 families referred to it by child protective investigators, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. During a recent legislative hearing, the program's executive director credited it with helping to reduce the number of Florida children in foster care by 7,000. But others who are familiar with what the program does — and doesn't do — suggest such claims are exaggerated or false. St. Petersburg resident Julie Broward said she reached out to Hope Florida after her home was flooded during Hurricane Milton. Broward cares for three grandchildren who had been in foster care and has Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Her brush with Hope Florida was all too brief. 'I never got help,' she said. Current and former leaders of foster care agencies interviewed by the Tampa Bay Times said they doubt the claims made by Hope Florida. They say that the program founded by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis duplicates what their agencies were already doing and that it has taken resources from existing programs. 'There is already a system to accomplish everything Hope Florida was supposed to accomplish,' said Gerry Glynn, former CEO of Embrace Families, the nonprofit that ran foster care operations in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties for two decades. 'They were holding the hands and being a moral support. Is that worth the millions of dollars they spent on it?' Three current chief executives confirmed what Glynn had to say but spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing their agencies' reliance on state funding. Glynn and the other chief executives disputed Hope Florida's claim of helping turn around families at risk of having their children removed. Many times, they said, Hope Florida referred needy families to state agencies and services, a role foster care agencies already perform. After Glynn's former nonprofit announced that it was stepping down as a lead agency, Embrace Families was criticized by the Florida Department of Children and Families for financial mismanagement and placing children in unlicensed settings, reports show. Glynn said Hope Florida's hotline would be of little help to parents dealing with issues such as substance addiction, mental health disorders and domestic violence that often lead to the removal of their children. There was also concern that families battling those problems need more than someone showing up with a meal. That was referencing Casey DeSantis' comment at a recent news conference that churches showing up with a tray of lasagna for a struggling single mother can ease poverty. The doubts about Hope Florida's merits come as lawmakers have also asked questions about its effectiveness and how much it costs. The scrutiny came after the organization's charity arm received $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid settlement that was previously undisclosed to the state Legislature. When asked for comment, a Department of Children and Families spokesperson declined over email when a Times reporter would not share direct quotes ahead of publication of this story nor name the four officials who were interviewed. 'Hope Florida does not provide services, it connects people with others who provide services — like CarePortal,' said the spokesperson, referencing a platform launched 10 years ago. Florida had a free crisis helpline long before Hope Florida. The Florida 211 Network, comprised of 11 organizations, was officially adopted by the state in the early 2000s, said executive director Tori Greer. It provides callers with access to more than 32,000 programs and services. The 211 network fielded more than a million requests for help last year. About 348,000 were requests for housing resources, 87,000 for food assistance, and more than 211,000 for mental health and substance abuse support, Greer said. Hope Florida was created as a pilot program in 2019 before operating statewide in 2021. It operates within the Florida Department of Children and Families, whose secretary reports to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Hope Florida doesn't have an official budget but the department reassigned 150 state employees to become navigators who answer calls made to the program's help line. That adds up to about $6 million in salaries even before benefits are calculated, said state Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, during an April 15 Florida House hearing on healthcare. She asked why the department had created those positions while state lawmakers are considering a Florida budget that will cut jobs in other state departments. 'I'm frankly astonished we have this whole system which we've now got at least one agency with $6 million in hirings that have happened,' she said. The secretary of the Department of Children and Families, Taylor Hatch, responded that the positions were funded within her agency's existing budget and amounted to less than 2% of its workforce. The reassignment of workers to Hope Florida coincided with the department struggling to deal with an influx of calls for help as it recertified the eligibility of about 5 million Medicaid recipients. Residents calling the department's Medicaid call center during 2023 had average wait times of 32 minutes. Nearly four out of 10 callers gave up waiting. Slow response times were cited in a lawsuit brought by health advocacy groups on behalf of residents who lost health coverage. Florida also received a warning from the federal government that the Medicaid call center wasn't providing timely assistance to those renewing or applying for the benefit. Concerns about whether the Medicaid call center is adequately staffed persist. A recent report by Unidos, a Latino advocacy nonprofit, found that Spanish speakers waited an average of 54 minutes, with some waiting more than two hours. Hope Florida navigators take calls from families in need and log details into an online system called CarePortal, which allows church groups and nonprofits to see requests for help. But foster care agencies already were using that system. If a family needs help buying a bed for a child, foster care workers typically reach out to local faith groups or nonprofits and use CarePortal to find the closest help by ZIP code. If help isn't forthcoming, the agency will spend from its own budget to fill the need. The performance of foster care agencies and child protective investigators is documented and posted online, but the state has not released any details about Hope Florida's performance and how much the program costs. The group has published magazine-style reports on its website and social media pages listing success stories but those provide only the first name of the person helped. The accompanying photographs are stock images obtained online. Not included in the promotional materials is Acacia Davidson, 50. She offered a less flattering take of her experience. Davidson said she repeatedly called Hope Florida after her apartment flooded during Hurricane Milton. The help to pay for accommodations she received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency expired and she, her husband and daughter have been living in a motel room since. Davidson, who has osteoarthritis, said the navigators she spoke with were unable to help her find a subsidized apartment. 'They're very ill-informed on resources they're talking about,' she said. 'I've been the one emailing and calling until I could get some kind of result.' The claim that Hope Florida deserved credit for a drop in the number of children in foster care was made by former Executive Director Erik Dellenback during the April Florida House hearing. More than 23,000 Florida children were wards of the state when Dellenback was named as Governor's Liaison for Faith in August 2019. He was appointed as executive director of Hope Florida in January but resigned effective May 1 amid the fallout over the use of the Medicaid settlement. As of March, the number of children in foster care had fallen to just over 15,200. 'I would encourage you to look at where foster care is today,' Dellenback told lawmakers during the hearing, adding that the reduced numbers are because Hope Florida had made it possible for faith and community partners to 'care for families, strengthen families and help that child stay in that biological home.' Foster agency officials said it's unlikely that Hope Florida's help line contributed to the drop and cite other factors. Local agencies have spent years developing and implementing evidence-based interventions to go into homes and have eyes on families at risk of having their children removed. Case managers work for weeks or months to get parents to follow plans that include substance-abuse counseling, therapy and anger management classes. The 2018 Families First Prevention and Services Act made more federal funding available for services that help families before children are removed. The drop in the number of children in care in Florida is mirrored nationally, with federal data showing a 13% decline between 2019 and 2022. 'I would be skeptical that Hope Florida could take that credit when nationally the numbers have come down,' Glynn said. 'Hope Florida clearly does not have a national footprint.' Other changes specific to Florida's child welfare system likely also helped. In 2023, Florida ended a more than two-decade experiment that saw child protective investigators employed and supervised by sheriff's offices in seven counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco. Some of those counties had among the highest removal rates of children, a 2021 Times report found. Foster care agencies contracted by the state receive funding from the Department of Children and Families but also fundraise to boost their revenue and the services they can offer. The arrival of Hope Florida has created another competitor for those limited donor dollars, Glynn said. 'I didn't understand why we were creating this redundant agency that will vie for the same resources,' he said.
