Seventeen-year-old “John”, who had endured significant trauma early in life, was adopted and struggled with mental health concerns. While in Juvenile Mental Health Court (JMHC), his Hillsborough County circuit court judge recognized that his case had stalled and that he needed additional support to move forward. The judge referred John’s case to Crossroads For Florida Kids.
The organization, founded in 2012, trains and utilizes pro bono attorneys to take on complex representations of children in foster care and those facing delinquency charges. Crossroads For Florida Kids received a 2024-25 FFLA Children’s Legal Services grant.
By the time of his referral, John no longer trusted that his adoptive parents were acting in his best interest. He resisted services and had developed a reputation for obstinance that only deepened his belief that authority figures were working against him.
Crossroads appointed Richard Anderson as John’s Attorney ad Litem alongside an experienced co-counsel as part of their practice of pairing new volunteers with seasoned attorneys. Although it was Anderson’s first Crossroads case, he quickly became the attorney that John trusted most, a connection that proved pivotal to the young man’s progress.
“I made it clear that I was there to represent him and him alone, and that I would always be in his corner—no matter what,” Anderson said.
That commitment became the foundation of a relationship built on empathy, consistency, and trauma-informed advocacy. The Crossroads team reframed John’s behavior not as defiance but as a predictable response to years of instability, allowing trust and open communication to develop.
With steady support, John began engaging in services, improved his grades, and identified a career goal of becoming an electrical lineman. His attorneys helped him research training programs and secure a job-shadowing opportunity. As his confidence grew, so did his stability—his mental health improved, his academic performance strengthened, and his family relationships began to heal.
John ultimately graduated from JMHC, his charges were dismissed, and his record remained clean. Even after his case concluded, he chose to remain connected to his attorneys, who continue to serve as mentors as he works nearly full-time, rebuilds his relationship with his adoptive parents, and prepares for adulthood.
FFLA is currently funding eight Children’s Legal Services grants that address the needs of children in the dependency system, child victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect, children denied access to necessary medical services, children who have been trafficked and children with severe disabilities.
Last year, grantee organizations served 3,832 clients, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. More than $4.6 million in judgements, fees, awards and other benefits were obtained for clients.
