Who do visitors examining Child Protection and Parental Rights in the United States through the International Visitor Leadership Program meet when they come to northwest Florida? For a recent group from Indonesia, the options focused on U.S. child custody laws and the family court system.
To welcome the visitors to the region, Council Member Sherri Myers met them at Pensacola City Hall. She shared a summary of Pensacola’s history and provided an overview of the protections for children handled through local government legislation.
They then met Executive Director Sue Hand and Director of Residential Programs Marsha Travis at FAVORhouse (Family Anti Violence Through An Organized Response) for a discussion and shelter site visit. The focus on families continued with a visit to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House where they met with Executive Director Stacey Kostevicki to explore an accredited children’s advocacy center.
Further discussion continued with University of West Florida Interim Vice-Provost Dr. Kimberly McCorkle. Dr. McCorkle is an Administrative Fellow with the Office of Academic Affairs as well as the Chair of the Department of Legal Studies, Public Administration, & Sports Management. She regularly taught courses including Legal Advocacy, Evidence, Criminal Law, Law and Society, and Domestic Violence and the Justice System, and her research interests include domestic violence legislation and policies, intimate partner homicide, and police practices. The focus of this meeting included the legal protections within the judicial system regarding adoption, foster care, custody issues, and protections for children.
In a discussion with the Honorable Terrance R. Ketchel, the group explored the procedures of his Unified Family Court and discussed the value of allowing both parents to have access in a custody dispute. The Unified Family Court operates under the “One Family, One Judge” model, coordinating and consolidating cases for more informed decision-making. This model provides greater convenience for families and helps connect people with community resources. Judge Ketchel’s court is one of six sites nationally participating in Project ONE, a program designed to maximize the effectiveness of Unified Family Courts.
Lieutenant Jimmy Donohoe of the Pensacola Police Department provided insight into the work of law enforcement in protecting children and in preventing and handling cases of domestic violence, abuse, and custody disputes. Then, on a site visit to the Department of Juvenile Justice Court, the group met with Assistant Chief Probation Officer Kayshala Patterson and Escambia Regional Detention Center Superintendent Major Regina Berry. The site visit to the detention center focused on the services provided to detained youth and provided insight into common offenses and the typical backgrounds of detainees.
The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council thanks everyone who helped make this project a success and gives a special thank you to Magali Posey and her husband, Board Member E. Ben Posey, and members Beverly and David Mayo who invited the visitors to their homes for dinner and fellowship.
