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To the Voiceless
We speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves
Group Home Abuse and Neglect
When you place a loved one with autism, Down syndrome, or another disability into a licensed Florida group home—especially a loved one who is nonverbal and unable to speak up for themselves—you’re trusting that they will be safe, properly supervised, and treated with dignity. But too often, that trust is betrayed—and the result is devastating.
At FIDJ, we represent victims and their families when something goes horribly wrong.
If your loved one was neglected, injured, or died in a Florida group home, we will fight for answers—and for justice.
At FIDJ, we fight inequity and demand justice for disabled teens and adults abused and neglected in Florida group homes.
Every family’s story is different, but the red flags of abuse and neglect often look the same...
Choking during meals, especially involving nonverbal teens and adults
Medications stopped or skipped without a doctor’s order
Unsupervised wandering or eloping from the home
Bedsores in residents with limited mobility
Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or signs of poor hygiene
Prolonged exposure to soiled clothing or bedding
Rotting teeth or lack of basic dental care
Sudden changes in behavior, like fear, withdrawal, or agitation
Rapid, unexplained weight loss
Broken bones or bruises with no clear explanation
Use of restraints
If something about your loved one’s situation feels off, it probably is.
Neglect isn’t always obvious—until it’s too late.
Who's Caring For Your Loved One?
If you're searching for a licensed group home in Florida — or something doesn’t feel right — use our directory. We've compiled of list of every Florida group home to help families stay in contact with their loved one, monitor care, and take action when needed. As advocates for individuals with disabilities, we believe transparency is the first step toward accountability.
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Common Conditions of
Group Home Residents
and Why it Matters.
Group homes often serve people with lifelong developmental, neurological, or physical disabilities—conditions that heighten vulnerability to abuse and make it harder to speak up. Common conditions include:
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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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Down syndrome
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Intellectual Disability (ID)
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Cerebral Palsy
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Epilepsy / Seizure Disorders
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Prader-Willi Syndrome
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Spina Bifida
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Genetic or Chromosomal Disorders (e.g., Fragile X Syndrome)
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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
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Developmental Delays (Severe)
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Quadriplegia / Severe Physical Disabilities
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Schizophrenia or Severe Mental Illness
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Bipolar Disorder
Group Home
Residents
Have Rights!
Under Florida law, individuals with developmental disabilities living in licensed group homes are entitled to meaningful protections that ensure safety, dignity, and self-determination. These rights aren’t optional—they’re enforceable. If your loved one’s rights are being violated, it's time to take action!
Abuse, Neglect, & Exploitation
Group home residents have the right to be free from physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation. No staff member, caregiver, or facility has the right to harm, ignore, or take advantage of someone in their care.
Freedom from Restraints & Seclusion
Group home residents have the right to be free from physical, chemical, or mechanical restraints and seclusion. Restraints and/or seclusion can only be used in an emergency to prevent immediate harm. They may never be used for punishment, control, or staff convenience.
Prompt & Appropriate Medical Care
Group homes are required to provide prompt and appropriate medical treatment and care for physical and mental ailments and for the prevention of any illness or disability. Medical treatment shall be consistent with the accepted standard of medical practice in the communication.
Visitation & Communication
Group home residents have the right to stay connected to loved ones and advocates. This includes uncensored mail, confidential phone calls, and in-person visits. Isolation from others is never acceptable without a clear legal or safety justification.
Personal Property
Group home residents can keep their clothing, belongings, and personal funds. Group homes must safeguard these items and return them promptly.
Medical Decisions
Every group home resident has the right to be informed of their medical condition and participate in treatment decisions, including the right to refuse care. Only court-appointed guardians with specific authority may override this right.
Behavioral Interventions
Group home residents may not be subjected to painful or coercive behavioral programs. Any behavior plan must be medically reviewed and follow strict oversight. Florida law prohibits the use of noxious stimuli and mandates safeguards to prevent abuse in treatment.
Freedom from Discrimination
Group home residents cannot be excluded from public programs or services simply because they have a developmental disability. Discrimination in any form is a violation of their legal rights.
Civil Rights & Voting
Group home residents cannot be denied their right to vote or participate in public life due to a disability, unless deemed incapacitated by a court or unless a court has specifically removed that right. Group homes must support, not obstruct, this right.
They failed your loved one. Now, it's time to
Demand
What is a Residential “Group Home”?
In Florida, a “group home” is a generic term for various types of 24-hour residential group care facilities licensed either by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA”), the Florida Department of Children and Families (“DCF”), or the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (“APD”). Group homes that serve an elderly population, that serve a disabled population, or provide crisis stabilization for those with mental health issues are licensed by AHCA. Homes that serve children or provide drug, alcohol, and other mental health services on an inpatient basis are licensed by DCF. Group homes that only serve individuals with disabilities are licensed by APD.
What are Some of the Specific Types of Residential Group Homes in Florida?
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Adult Family-Care Homes (Florida Statute § 429.60, et. seq.)
Adult family-care homes are restricted in the types of residents they can admit. For instance, a resident who requires 24-hour nursing supervision cannot be admitted (or retained) in an adult family-care home unless the resident is an enrolled hospice patient and the continued residency is mutually agreeable to the resident and the provider. This exception allows residents to remain in a familiar environment as they live out their last days. Residents of adult-family care homes also have rights. Florida Statute § 429.85 establishes the adult-family-care home residents’ Bill of Rights. Those rights include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) The right to live in a safe and decent living environment, free from abuse and neglect. (b) The right to be treated with consideration and respect and with due recognition of personal dignity, individuality, and privacy. (c) The right to keep and use personal clothes and other personal property in the resident’s immediate living quarters, except when the provider can demonstrate that doing so would be unsafe or interfere with the rights of other residents. (d) The right to unrestricted private communication, including sending and receiving unopened correspondence, having access to a telephone, and visiting with any person between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at minimum. (e) The right to be free to participate in and benefit from community services and activities to achieve the highest possible level of independence, autonomy, and interaction within the community. (f) The right to manage their personal affairs, unless the resident or the resident’s legal representative authorizes the provider to provide safekeeping for funds. (g) The right to share a room with a spouse, if both are residents of the adult family-care home. (h) The right to engage in exercise several times per week and to be outdoors at regular and frequent intervals. (i) The right to exercise civil and religious liberties, including the right to independent personal decisions. (j) The right to have access to adequate and appropriate health care. (k) The right to be free from chemical and physical restraints. (l) The right to have 30 days’ notice of relocation or termination of residency, unless for medical reasons, the resident requires an emergency relocation or the resident is engaging in a pattern of conduct that is harmful or offensive to other residents. (m) The right to present grievances or recommend changes to the provider, to staff, or to any other person without restraining, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal. When these rights are violated, an adult family-care home resident has a cause of action against the adult family-care home, the individual provider, and/or the individual staff member(s) responsible for the violation. An action against an adult family-care home may be brought by the resident, the resident’s guardian, or any other third party acting on behalf of the resident. Generally, a Plaintiff in an action against an adult family-care center may seek both actual and punitive damages, where appropriate, along with prevailing plaintiff attorneys’ fees and costs (if certain statutory conditions are satisfied). See Fla. Stat. § 429.87. An adult family-care home resident may also pursue a negligence claim, as the remedies provided in the Adult Family-Care Home Act are in addition to other legal remedies available to the resident.
2. Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled Persons (Florida Statute § 400.960, et. seq.)
Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled (“ICF/DD”) provide care and residence for individuals with developmental disabilities. A developmental disability is a disorder or syndrome that is attributable to retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, or Prader-Willi syndrome that manifests before the age of 18 and constitutes a substantial handicap that can reasonably be expected to continue indefinitely. As of April 2024, there were 104 Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled in Florida and 2,824 licensed ICF/DD beds. In Florida, all persons with developmental disabilities are afforded certain additional legal rights. Those rights are broken down into 2 categories: (a) all persons with developmental disabilities, regardless of whether the individual receives services through the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and (b) individuals with developmental disabilities who receive services through the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Legal Rights for All Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Regardless of Whether He or She Receives Services through the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (a) The right to dignity, privacy, and humane care, free from abuse and exploitation. (b) The right to religious freedom and practice without restriction. (c) The right to services that protect personal liberty in the least restrictive conditions necessary for treatment. (d) The right to quality education and training services, regardless of age or disability, including instruction in sex education, marriage, and family planning. (e) The right to social interaction and participation in community activities. (f) The right to physical exercise and recreational opportunities. (g) The right to be free from harm, including restraint, isolation, excessive medication, abuse, or neglect. (h) The right to consent to or refuse treatment, except under guardianship. (i) The right to non-discrimination in any program receiving public funds, regardless of developmental disability. (j) The right to vote in public elections, without denial due to developmental disability. See Fla. Stat. § 393.13(3). Legal Rights for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Who Receive Services through the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (a) The right to unrestricted communication and visitation, with exceptions. (b) The right to possess and use personal clothing and effects, with exceptions. (c) The right to prompt and appropriate medical treatment and care. (d) The right to individual storage space for private use. (e) The right to physical exercise as prescribed, with indoor and outdoor facilities provided. (f) The right to humane discipline. (g) The right to be free from treatment programs for behavioral issues without physician examination. (h) The right to be free from unnecessary restraint or seclusion, with exceptions. (i) The right to have a central record established by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities containing information pertaining to admission, diagnosis, treatment history, present condition, and any other information as may be required. (j) The right to vote in public elections. See Fla. Stat. § 393.13(4). In addition to claims for negligence, any person who violates the legal rights of persons with developmental disabilities is liable for damages. See Fla. Stat. § 393.13(5).
3. Transitional Living Facilities (Florida Statute § 400.997, et. seq.)
Transitional Living Facilities provide specialized health care services to those who have brain or spinal cord injuries. Such services include, but are not limited to, rehabilitative services, behavior modification, community reentry training, aids for independent living, and counseling. To be admitted to a transitional living facility, an individual must have an acquired internal or external injury to the skull, the brain, or the brain’s covering, caused by a traumatic or non-traumatic event, that produces an altered state of consciousness, or a spinal cord injury, such as a lesion to the spinal cord or cauda equine syndrome, with evidence of significant involvement of at least 2 or more of the following deficits or dysfunctions: (a) A motor deficit. (b) A sensory deficit. (c) A cognitive deficit. (d) A behavioral deficit. (e) Bowel and bladder dysfunction. A transitional living facility may not admit the following individuals: those whose primary admitting diagnosis is mental illness or a developmental disability, those who present a significant risk of infection to others, those who are considered dangers to themselves or others, those who are bedridden, or those who require 24-hour nursing supervision. As of April 2024, there were 19 transitional living facilities in Florida and 371 licensed transitional living facility beds.
Our team of attorneys is dedicated to fighting inequity and demanding justice for those who have suffered at the hands of a group home. If you suspect your loved one was injured at the hands of a group home, including an adult family-care center, intermediate care facility, or transitional living facility, contact the experienced attorneys at FIDJ, before it’s too late.
We Sue Group Homes for Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Call (844) FIDJ-LAW to speak with one of our experienced attorneys.
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Do you need an attorney that handles cases near you or your loved one? Our attorneys handle cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect, assisted living facility abuse and neglect, group home abuse and neglect, and adult day care center abuse and neglect in the following Florida counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.