I. Overview
Title: Records of Panel on Child Protection
Date: 2000-2002
Location: 04/07-09
Extent: 3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.)
Language: English
II. Historical note
When the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) became engulfed in scandal in April, 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed a four-member Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Protection to investigate and report back to him quickly. David Lawrence, Jr., former publisher of The Miami Herald and currently chairman of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, was named chairman of the panel, joined by child welfare expert Sara Herald; Carol Lidko, the governor's former counsel; and Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, president of Barry University. Eight public hearings were held between May 8 and 27, 2002, with testimony from a wide spectrum of local, state, and national experts on child welfare, pertinent agencies, and some parents of children in DCF custody. The panel received and reviewed stacks of reports, studies, charts, graphs, transcripts of testimony and e-mails, as well as numerous newspaper articles.
Some of the agencies supplying information to the panel, and included in this record, are The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, Foster Care Review, Project Hope, Children First Project, and the Guardian ad Litem Program.
III. The Collection
The collection includes copies of materials considered by the panel; reports, minutes of public hearings, correspondence, recommendations and comments sent to members of the panel. The collection also includes records on the Florida Department of Children and Families, such us the publication "The Department of Children and Families--Past, Present and Future; A Work in Progress," issued by Judge Kathleen A, Kearney, Secretary of DCF.
IV. Container list
Box Title
04/07 Dept. of Children and Families:A Work in Progress
Communications to the Panel
Correspondence re Lost or Abused Childrenn
Formal Complaint against FDFC
Public Hearings, May, 2002
Correspondence to Panel
Minutes of Public Hearings
Newspaper Reprints re FDFC
E-Mail re Abused Children
Final Report of Panel
District 11— Statistics
04/08 National Coalition for Child Protection Reform
Justification Review of Program, March, 2002
Foster Care Review—Annual Report 2000-2001
Family Safety
Project Hope
Case of Ashleigh D. Abbott
Leslie Daeda Case/Alisha, daughter
“Children First” Program Presentation to Panel
Council on Accreditation
Guardian ad Litem
Confidentiality
Sr. Jeanne’s Appointment to Panel (Fax from Gov. Bush)
04/09 Blue Ribbon Final Report 05/28/02, Section A
Blue Ribbon Final Report 05/28/02, Section B
Blue Ribbon Final Report 05/28/02, Section C and D
Summary of Reports, Recommendations, Actions and Current
Status, May 14, 2002
V. Administrative Information
Acquisition Information: Transfer, President's Office, 2003 Jun. 16
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research
Processed by: Sister Arnold Benedetto, O.P., revised by Ximena Valdivia, 2011
Preferred Citation: Records of Panel on Child Protection, Barry University Archives and Special Collections, Miami Shores, Florida
