By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that a mother in Escambia County, had her 6-year-old daughter removed by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) due to allegations of medical neglect, but DCF later admitted misconduct by their employees?
Recently, a video of Joy Zuraff confronting the Florida Department of Children and Families agents went viral on social media where Zuraff could be heard confronting the DCF agents in their attempt to take Kenlee, Ms. Zuraff’s daughter for “medical neglect.”
Kenlee reportedly suffers from cystic fibrosis. Joy sought medical treatment for Kenlee from a different doctor, which DCF reportedly interpreted as “medical fraud.” This case has drawn public attention and advocacy, with supporters urging action to protect Kenlee from losing her mother. However, thousands of similar cases have also been reported throughout the United States including Florida charging CPS/DCF of “legal kidnapping” children for incentive of access of billions of dollars yearly in federal tax dollars via, “kidnapping kids for cash-fraud.”
DCF may remove a child from a parent’s custody if it believes there is an imminent risk, but legal standards require DCF to prove probable cause for a shelter hearing within 24 hours of removal, showing an imminent danger threat that cannot be mitigated by in-home services. However, DCF’s actions are not immune from scrutiny—a 2025 Special Master’s report noted that DCF must meet high standards in investigations, and its actions or inactions can be a contributing legal cause in cases of child harm. This highlights the importance of due process and accountability in such cases.
Late on January 24, 2026, a spokesperson posted on the My Florida families X (formerly Twitter) account that in part, “…the conduct displayed by the Department employees (Escambia County) in the video was inappropriate. It failed to demonstrate the level of professionalism and compassion expected in such circumstances, and the Department is addressing this.”