Report: Florida Agency Evades State Regulators Amid Abuse Charges

A tough read - part 1 of 2-part series. Link to part 2 at the bottom.

Three years ago, it looked like the Florida agency that oversees care for children and adults with disabilities had finally had enough: It filed a legal complaint that outlined horrific abuse at Carlton Palms, a rambling campus of group homes and classrooms near the small town of Mount Dora.

A man called “R.G.” was punched in the stomach, kicked and told “shut your [expletive] mouth,” the complaint said. “R.T.” was left with a face full of bruises after a worker hit him with a belt wrapped around his fist. A child, “D.K.,” who refused to lie face down so he could be restrained, was kicked in the face and choked until, eyes bulging, he nearly passed out.

State officials wanted to bar Carlton Palms from accepting new residents for a year.

Cheerleaders Mentor Girls with Disabilities

Just a wonderful program. Hopefully, other schools will follow this model because there's value for the girls with special needs and the cheerleaders. Go Nease Sparklers!

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Adrianna Barranco was jittery and just plain nervous until a 12-year-old in a wheelchair took all of that tension away with one little smile.
When Barranco laid eyes on a "spitfire" named Lily Boone during an informal meeting for the Nease Sparklers, a group that pairs cheerleaders with children who have disabilities, it all fit together. Boone flashed a grin. Barranco's fears melted away, and the first group of its kind in the state was well on its way to becoming a reality.