Florida law provides lawyers for certain children and youth who are in the “dependency” system (sometimes called foster care, although dependency includes more children and youth). The court appoints LSNF lawyers for children and youth who:

When children are in crisis, LSNF is at their side to provide protection, support and hope. In addition to free legal services for children in foster care, LSNF provides targeted public policy and class action advocacy to achieve system-wide changes in the field of child welfare.

These children and youth have a variety of needs, and LSNF works with these children and youth to provide holistic representation – LSNF starts with what is happening in dependency, but doesn’t stop there. We believe that children and youth deserve a voice in important decisions that impact their lives. LSNF lawyers have a confidential relationship with each child or youth; make sure that the children and youth understand their rights; counsel them about important decisions; and advocate for what the child or youth wants. This is called “expressed interest” or youth-centered advocacy.

Every school district is required by law to identify and evaluate students with disabilities. Then, the disabled students may be given special education programs and services individualized for their special needs.

Students are disciplined at school every day – but some forms of discipline such as suspension or expulsion can have a serious impact on student’s futures. Specific laws protect students with disabilities from being disciplined for behavior that is connected to their disability.

Discipline at school is also connected to the larger criminal justice system. Millions of students are being removed from their classrooms each year, mostly in
middle and high schools, and overwhelmingly for minor misconduct. When suspended, these students are at a significantly higher risk of falling behind academically, dropping out of school, and coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. A disproportionately large percentage of disciplined students are youth of color, students with disabilities, and youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).

Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students are suspended at much higher rates than their White peers—sometimes at double the rate.

Twenty percent of secondary school students with disabilities were suspended in a single school year, compared to fewer than ten percent of their peers without disabilities.

LGBTQ+ youth are up to three times more likely to experience harsh disciplinary treatment than their heterosexual counterparts.

To better understand student discipline and student rights, watch the video below:

According to the CDC, there are concerning trends about the mental health of U.S. high school students.

Some groups are more affected than others.

Poor mental health in adolescence is more than feeling blue. It can impact many areas of a teen’s life. Youth with poor mental health may struggle with school and grades, decision making, and their health.

Mental health problems in youth often go hand-in-hand with other health and behavioral risks like increased risk of drug use, experiencing violence, and higher risk sexual behaviors than can lead to HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. Because many health behaviors and habits are established in adolescence that will carry over into adult years, it is very important to help youth develop good mental health.

In Florida, Mobile Response Teams (MRTs) are available to support students in crisis – wherever they are, including in school.

Sometimes, students are removed from school and taken to a hospital or other facility for a mental health evaluation. These removals are called Baker Acts, and Florida law includes special protections for youth.

To learn more about MRTs and Baker Acts, review the videos below:

Some LGBTQ+ youth experience supportive, welcoming school environments where they are physically and emotionally safe and their LGBTQ+ identity is respected or even embraced. Others may experience unwelcoming, unsafe, and unsupportive conditions in schools. Research has found that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience stress and fear in school than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. This experience is associated with verbal harassment (e.g., being subject to name calling), physical harassment (e.g., being pushed or shoved), and physical assault (e.g., being punched or kicked) because of sexual identity and gender identity/expression.

These negative conditions can affect the likelihood that LGBTQ+ youth attend and complete school. Research on LGBTQ youth shows that if they experience bullying and victimization, they are more likely to:

Federal law prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ+ students. To better understand these rights, watch the video below

Students who speak a language other than English, sometimes called English Learners, or English Language Learners, can struggle in school. These students are essentially learning two things at once: the English language and then whatever subject they are studying (math, history, etc.)

Schools are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of race, color (ethnicity), or national origin.
Schools are not allowed to ask any student about their immigration status, and all students in the United States have the right to attend school.

Research shows that if students experience bullying and victimization, they are more likely to:

Federal law requires schools both to not discriminate against English learners and to provide specific support to these students. To learn more about EL student rights, watch the video below:

In this technological age, privacy might seem a thing of the past. But school records – including discipline – can harm as well as help students, so only certain people have a right to see these records.

A federal law called The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) protects the privacy of student education records.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
These rights are:

• the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school.
• the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, schools must have written permission to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows exceptions:

1. School officials with legitimate educational interest;
2. Other schools to which a student is transferring;
3. Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
4. Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
5. Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
6. Accrediting organizations;
7. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
8. Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
9. State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents about directory information and allow parents a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA.

To learn more about rights under FERPA, watch the video below: