by David Chapman
Staff Writer
For child advocates looking to make a difference in the lives of foster and at-risk children, a little teamwork can go a long way toward furthering the cause.
Since 2001, one organization with local ties has provided that place for teamwork.
Florida’s Children First, an independent statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit child advocacy group for foster and at-risk children was created by attorneys from across Florida. It acts as a “watchdog” over child welfare organizations that are in place to serve children.
Florida’s Children First Vice President Brian Cabrey, an attorney with local firm Zisser Robison Brown Nowlis Maciejewski & Cabrey, has worked in the Florida Department of Children and Families and the private sector and knows how a group can be more powerful than an individual.
“For years, child advocates were running around and doing their own thing,” said Cabrey. “They all want to help, but many times the results were hit or miss.”
The organization works with children in dependency and delinquency cases but also handles cases of children with disabilities and child immigrants.
“Florida’s Children First looks at the bigger picture, looks at patterns, sees what can be fixed or improved that will affect the whole group of children and makes those necessary changes,” said Florida’s Children First Executive Director Andrea Moore.
Many of those changes come through observation of the system and education.
Monitoring Florida’s executive branch, educating and supporting children advocates and attorneys and supporting former foster youth are just three of the ways Florida’s Children First help the children in the system, said Cabrey.
The organization has a 22-member board of directors, composed of attorneys and advocates from across Florida – including one local member.
“It’s about moving things along with a sense of urgency for some of our most vulnerable,” said board member and attorney Wayne Hogan of Terrell Hogan. “That’s why I joined and I’ve been pleased with the level of active work Florida’s Children First has had for children.”
The nonprofit is funded in part by the Florida Bar Foundation but also aims to be self-sufficient. One way it raises funds is by hosting numerous receptions across Florida to honor local child advocates and foster graduates.
The latest reception was held in Jacksonville and honored former Fourth Circuit Judge Dorothy Pate, the Circuit’s first female judge who helped found the Northeast Florida Guardian Ad Litem program and The Family Nurturing Center of Florida. Others honored included Dr. Michael Solloway, foster graduates Justin Taylor, Lakateria Burks and Lateria Whitted and the “1,000 Small Smiles Across Jacksonville” orthodontics program.
Jacksonville is home to one of Florida’s Children First offices – an ideal locale for what Cabrey believes is an area full of people who fight for children’s rights.
He noted proactive programs in child advocacy issues such as the Guardian Ad Litem program and Youth Crisis Center as examples of locally originating causes.
“Jacksonville is definitely blessed in that regard,” he said.
Still, foster and dependency cases are issues that need more attention.
“Sometimes it seems dependency is the forgotten stepchild of the legal universe,” he said. “Unless you’re in the trenches, you really have no idea it exists.
“By and large, for much of society it’s easy to forget about these children.”
One of the hot issues Cabrey and Florida’s Children First is tackling is the right for a child to be properly represented legally during proceedings in the courtroom – until recently, said Cabrey, it seemed that every party but the child’s was represented by legal counsel.
Since its founding in 2001, progress has been made at Florida’s Children First – but the issues never cease.
“We have much work to do but we are making real progress,” said Moore.
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