TRICK OR TREAT: THE APPLICATION OF THE STATE UDAP STATUSES TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN THE FLORIDA DEPENDENCY PROCESS

The State of Florida is a leader in many respects. Florida is number one in beaches;' number one in tropical hurricanes and lightning strikes; and at or near the top per capita in mishandling abandoned, abused, and neglected children. Florida actually spends more money on the incarceration of children than on the education of children.s With tens of thousands of children in the dependency system in Florida every year, the legal system and child protective services system are stressed. One Glaring weakness in the Florida process is that each dependent child is not provided a lawyer for representation, except in exceptional circumstances. Although a minority of states fail to provide a dependent child his or her own lawyer, in Florida, it is actually much worse.