The death of Nubia Barahona ranked as among the most horrific confluence of child abuse, unspeakable suffering and deadly outcomes on two adopted children ever witnessed by Miami child advocate lawyers and South Florida foster child abuse attorneys. Her sad story surfaced again recently as Jorge and Carmen Barahona were... View Article
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
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 advocates and children’s rights attorneys who fight to prevent child abuse and death of Florida’s at-risk children are concerned about the evolving case of Phoebe Jonchuck. During a court hearing, her father, Jon Jonchuck, had hoped his case would be “in God’s hands” but a court-appointed attorney now... View Article
To those who advocate for greater protections for any child suffering physical abuse or threatened with harm, the episode this week when a young girl was tossed to her death off a Tampa Bay bridge raises questions and concerns. In the aftermath of the death of 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck, reportedly... View Article
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
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
If making life better for Florida’s abused, abandoned and neglected children is not already on your charitable priority list, consider Florida’s Children First. Thanks to the unwavering support of child advocates and supporters statewide, we’ve been able to help some of the 20,000 children in foster care who depend Florida’s... View Article
Stacie J. Schmerling, a children’s rights lawyer and former veteran child welfare investigator and case worker, has been named partner with Talenfeld Law, Florida’s only law firm dedicated exclusively to protecting abused, disabled and injured kids. Stacie has worked with preeminent children’s rights lawyer Howard Talenfeld for six years... View Article