Agency woes not helping gay-adoption advocates
Suit names Children and Families
By Jim Ash
DEMOCRAT CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF
Tallahassee Democrat
The Department of Children and Families is under fire from children's advocates for allowing foster children to spend the night in a conference room in Tallahassee, but legislative leaders said Wednesday that won't change their minds about allowing gays to adopt.
"Some of these kids are the most disadvantaged in the state," said House Majority Leader Marco Rubio of West Miami. "They shouldn't be forced to be part of a social experiment."
A department spokeswoman said Wednesday that some of the allegations in the suit are "overstated," but she acknowledged that at least three children at one time spent the night in the conference room, a practice that ended Jan. 29.
"We take these allegations very, very seriously," said Sara Parramore, a spokeswoman for DCF District II, which includes Tallahassee. "Many of these children have serious behavioral problems and are very difficult to place. We are working very hard to solve this problem."
The suit asks a Leon Circuit Judge to force the department to end "the policy and practice of forcing children to live in the conference room or any other unlicensed facility." The suit names DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi and a nonprofit foster-care provider, Big Bend Community Based Care.
Advocates claim the foster children have been temporarily housed in a DCF office at 3019 Jackson Bluff Road, where they are deprived of "adequate beds or bedding, food, supervision, health services or sanitary facilities."
No hearing has been scheduled.
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Jeb Bush and Hadi announced that Florida had received a waiver giving Florida greater say to target federal foster-care dollars to where they are most needed.
"By providing needed flexibility in funding, this waiver eliminates bureaucratic impediments to the success of foster-care programs in Florida," Bush said.
The waiver gives Florida greater authority to spend the money on in-home programs as well as family unification, Bush said.
The lawsuit comes at a time when legislation calling for the end of Florida's three-decade ban on gay adoption is stalled in both the House and Senate with a month left to go in the legislative session. The legislation would only apply to gays who are already serving as foster parents, which the law allows.
While the legislation would have little immediate impact on the thousands of Florida children awaiting adoption, it is more evidence that policy leaders need to look at more creative solutions for finding them permanent homes, said Fort Lauderdale attorney Michael Dale, a veteran children's advocate who represents the Tallahassee foster children.
"It's not part of our case, but the variety of available options ought to include gay adoption, in my opinion," Dale said. "Florida and Alabama are the only two states who don't allow it. That doesn't seem right."
Dale said he would prefer to find a solution outside of the courtroom, but that he was forced to act quickly to alleviate substandard conditions for his clients. The Legislature isn't doing its job, he said.
"The Legislature does not hold the governor and the agency as accountable as they should," he said. "I would prefer not to fight a war to the bitter end. Ideally, we can sit down and work this out. But we're not afraid to go to court."
House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, said Wednesday he will not allow the legislation to progress this year.
Bill sponsors, including Rep. Sheri McInvale, R-Orlando, are claiming a moral victory regardless.
They say the bills at least started a debate and received a committee hearing, something that hasn't happened since the ban was first imposed in the 1970s, at the height of an anti-gay rights crusade by former Florida Department of Citrus spokeswoman and television pitchwoman Anita Bryant.
Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, said Wednesday he had not made up his mind about the subject of gay adoption. But he said he has been fighting for years to improve foster-care placements for Florida children, 52 percent of whom are African American.
Richardson said he supports greater participation in adoptions by church-based organizations.
"We always need to keep a closer eye on the Department of Children and Families," he said. "Every year, something like this comes up."
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060406/CAPITOLNEWS/604060320/1010/NEWS01
By Jim Ash
DEMOCRAT CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF
Tallahassee Democrat
The Department of Children and Families is under fire from children's advocates for allowing foster children to spend the night in a conference room in Tallahassee, but legislative leaders said Wednesday that won't change their minds about allowing gays to adopt.
"Some of these kids are the most disadvantaged in the state," said House Majority Leader Marco Rubio of West Miami. "They shouldn't be forced to be part of a social experiment."
A department spokeswoman said Wednesday that some of the allegations in the suit are "overstated," but she acknowledged that at least three children at one time spent the night in the conference room, a practice that ended Jan. 29.
"We take these allegations very, very seriously," said Sara Parramore, a spokeswoman for DCF District II, which includes Tallahassee. "Many of these children have serious behavioral problems and are very difficult to place. We are working very hard to solve this problem."
The suit asks a Leon Circuit Judge to force the department to end "the policy and practice of forcing children to live in the conference room or any other unlicensed facility." The suit names DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi and a nonprofit foster-care provider, Big Bend Community Based Care.
Advocates claim the foster children have been temporarily housed in a DCF office at 3019 Jackson Bluff Road, where they are deprived of "adequate beds or bedding, food, supervision, health services or sanitary facilities."
No hearing has been scheduled.
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Jeb Bush and Hadi announced that Florida had received a waiver giving Florida greater say to target federal foster-care dollars to where they are most needed.
"By providing needed flexibility in funding, this waiver eliminates bureaucratic impediments to the success of foster-care programs in Florida," Bush said.
The waiver gives Florida greater authority to spend the money on in-home programs as well as family unification, Bush said.
The lawsuit comes at a time when legislation calling for the end of Florida's three-decade ban on gay adoption is stalled in both the House and Senate with a month left to go in the legislative session. The legislation would only apply to gays who are already serving as foster parents, which the law allows.
While the legislation would have little immediate impact on the thousands of Florida children awaiting adoption, it is more evidence that policy leaders need to look at more creative solutions for finding them permanent homes, said Fort Lauderdale attorney Michael Dale, a veteran children's advocate who represents the Tallahassee foster children.
"It's not part of our case, but the variety of available options ought to include gay adoption, in my opinion," Dale said. "Florida and Alabama are the only two states who don't allow it. That doesn't seem right."
Dale said he would prefer to find a solution outside of the courtroom, but that he was forced to act quickly to alleviate substandard conditions for his clients. The Legislature isn't doing its job, he said.
"The Legislature does not hold the governor and the agency as accountable as they should," he said. "I would prefer not to fight a war to the bitter end. Ideally, we can sit down and work this out. But we're not afraid to go to court."
House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, said Wednesday he will not allow the legislation to progress this year.
Bill sponsors, including Rep. Sheri McInvale, R-Orlando, are claiming a moral victory regardless.
They say the bills at least started a debate and received a committee hearing, something that hasn't happened since the ban was first imposed in the 1970s, at the height of an anti-gay rights crusade by former Florida Department of Citrus spokeswoman and television pitchwoman Anita Bryant.
Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, said Wednesday he had not made up his mind about the subject of gay adoption. But he said he has been fighting for years to improve foster-care placements for Florida children, 52 percent of whom are African American.
Richardson said he supports greater participation in adoptions by church-based organizations.
"We always need to keep a closer eye on the Department of Children and Families," he said. "Every year, something like this comes up."
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060406/CAPITOLNEWS/604060320/1010/NEWS01
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