Justice for Kids®

Naples

3080 Tamiami Trail E., Suite 322
Naples, FL 34112
Phone: 844-4KIDLAW (4543529); 754-888-KIDS (5437)

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.”

– Lady Bird Johnson

Although Naples is a small town in the southwest corner of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico and is famous for its high-end shopping, its privatized child protection system has been failing. There has been a placement gridlock, an over-reliance on shelters and group homes, and a lack of appropriate out-of-home placements, resulting in children who have been physically and sexually re-abused.

Recently, the attorneys at Justice for Kids filed suit on behalf of a child who was sexually assaulted by a pedophile operating a licensed foster home in nearby Sarasota.

Cases

Case Involving Sexual Abuse

A foster child who was sexually abused by an older, known sexually aggressive boy in a shelter filed a lawsuit against the shelter and child welfare agencies in Collier County for failure to protect him from sexual abuse. The case resolved for an undisclosed amount.

Child Sexually Assaulted by Older Child in Shelter

A vulnerable nine-year-old child removed from his family was placed in a children’s shelter in Naples, FL, where he was sexually assaulted by a sixteen-year-old resident with a documented history of severe violence and sexual aggressiveness. The shelter and case management agency were sued due to their prior knowledge of the dangerous placement.

The Florida Department of Children and Families and the lead community-based agency were also sued based on their prior knowledge of the placement gridlock, lack of foster and therapeutic foster homes, and over-reliance on dangerous shelter placements. The case settled for undisclosed sums paid by all defendants and placed in trust to treat the young victim throughout his life.

$1.2 Million Claims Bill for Developmentally Disabled Child

Justice for Kids obtained a $1.2 million claims bill from the Florida Legislature on behalf of a developmentally disabled child who was impregnated while living in a foster home in the region.