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Sheriff Scott to serve on State Board

By Staff | Jun 13, 2011

Earlier this week, Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott was appointed to a statewide advisory board for the Department of Children & Families by DCF Secretary David Wilkins and Deputy Secretary Ramin Kouzehkanani.

The appointment to the Barahona Long-Term Project Advisory Board comes after years of successful collaboration between the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Child Abuse Unit of the Sheriff’s Office and the local office of the Department of Children and Families.

“Children are the most valuable and vulnerable among us,” said Sheriff Scott. “I am honored to have been recognized on behalf of our agency’s ongoing efforts to keep kids safe and, along with my fellow Florida Sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, will ensure that law enforcement is well represented in this worthy endeavor.”

The advisory group was formed after an independent review of a horrific south Florida child abuse case, which left one child dead and another permanently injured. On Valentine’s Day, 2011, twin adopted children of the West Miami-Dade County Barahona’s family were discovered along a stretch of I-95 in Palm Beach County. Ten-year old Victor was found with his adoptive father next to their car suffering from chemical burns in a failed murder-suicide attempt by the parent.

Officials found the remains of twin sister, Nubia, in the trunk of the vehicle. Subsequent investigation resulted in both adoptive parents being charged with first-degree murder. Meanwhile, DCF Secretary Wilkins directed the independent panel to look into the practices and issues surrounding the case. The panel conducted public hearings, examined records, and then provided its findings and recommendations in March of this year. The Advisory Board is one of those recommendations.

In a letter thanking Sheriff Scott for accepting the appointment, Deputy Secretary Kouzehkanani said, “The Board is a critical component of the Department’s plan to improve Florida’s child welfare system, and ensure that nothing like Nubia’s tragic death ever occurs again.” He went on to say, “With your involvement on the Board, we can bring full transparency, independent thinking, collaborative input, speed in resolution, and bold initiatives to address what needs to be done. The long-term projects will help to significantly improve communication between partnering agencies and providers, integrate the delivery of services through enhanced technology platforms and streamlined processes, and ensure effective human resource systems. I believe your contribution on the Board will be invaluable to Floridians, and look forward to working with you.”

Sheriff Scott joins Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw as the law enforcement representatives for Florida. Other members include Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente along with several other prominent members of the judiciary, child welfare advocates, and private business leaders from around the state.

The Board will meet quarterly with the first meeting scheduled in Orlando.

on June 16.