A bill that would put more protections in place for children under the auspices of the Department of Children and Families is making its way through the Florida House. Regan McCarthy reports the bill is, in part, a response to the death of Nubia Barahona, a young girl who was abused and eventually killed by her adoptive foster parents.
Representative Felix Diaz, a Republican from Miami is bringing forward a bill that he says will help protect children like Nubia. He says his bill would make changes like revamping the department’s abuse hotline procedures and consolidating the department’s databases.
“DCF Secretary David Wilkins established an independent investigative panel to examine the Barahona case. And more importantly he empowered the same group to come up with short and long-term recommendations for the evolution the child investigative services was desperately needing.
Diaz, says he has incorporated the task force’s recommendations into his proposal. The bill now moves to the health and human services committee.
