LARGO, Fla. — Nearly two years after prosecutors say Jordan Belliveau's mother, Charisse Stinson, lied about his September 2018 disappearance, a law in his name was signed by Florida's governor.
The bill designed to protect children from abuse in the state's child welfare system will take effect on July 1.
State Representative Chris Latvala, who introduced the bill, called the signing the “proudest” moment of his public service career.
“Today is my proudest day as a member of the Florida House. This bill will fix a broken system and save lives and I thank Governor Ron DeSantis for signing it," Latvala wrote. "His administration has taken an intense focus on reforming the child welfare system in Florida. His DCF Secretary, Chad Poppell is committed to protecting Florida’s kids I want to thank DCF for their help on this bill.”
Belliveau, 2, died from head trauma and seizures allegedly caused by his mother. An AMBER Alert was issued by police before prosecutors say his mother lied about his disappearance. His body was later found in the woods.
She is facing first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and providing false information to a law enforcement agent during an investigation charges.
“I still remember where I was when I received the Amber Alert on my phone about a missing 2-year old from Largo. Precious Jordan lived 2 short years on this earth, but he will forever leave a mark on me, this community, and his legacy will be one that protects kids like him" Latvala wrote. "The systematic failures that led to Jordan Belliveau’s death are inexcusable and I believe this bill addresses those failures.”
The bill is set to accomplish the three following items:
- Reduce the caseload: The new law would slash caseloads from 30 to 15 per case manager to give each individual the ability to increase their attention per child.
- Streamline communication: Creating a system that cultivates shared data and information between law enforcement agencies and child welfare organizations is supposed to close the gap and streamline critical information about caregivers.
- Increase training: Requiring special training for parents, caseworkers, and law enforcement to better recognize the warning signs of head trauma
Click here to read the bill.
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