Response to Florida dependency article.

• Author: Abramowitz, Alan
• Position: Letters - Letter to the editor

While I am appreciative of Gurjot Kaur's efforts to bring the issue of children in Florida's dependency system to Florida Bar Journal readers ("A Case of Neglect? Representation for Children in the Florida Dependency System," June 2013), I feel compelled to address some of the points in her article as she presents a misleading and incorrect characterization of Florida's dependency system and the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Program.

The GAL Program's mission is to represent the best interests of the children we serve through a model that includes an attorney working with the GAL volunteer to effectively advocate for every child's best interest. This best interest model is the most common, with 30 states utilizing it. According to numerous reports, a child with a GAL is more likely to have a safe, permanent home and receive more assistance while in the dependency system.* Florida's GAL Program has proved effective with national recognition and is the repeat recipient of the Prudential Davis Productivity Award Program and the National Angel in Adoption Award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

As proof of Florida's "neglect," Ms. Kaur cites Florida's failing grade in the First Star Report. The First Star Report gives an "A+" grade to those states requiring attorneys for children and an "F" grade to those states that do not require appointment of an attorney for children. This methodology is flawed as there is no consideration of actual outcomes for children or whether the statutory mandate is met by an attorney being appointed. When looking at how dependent children are actually doing in these states, Florida (an "F" state) is doing better than all three of First Star's top "A+"...