The Russell Home is
under attack by the city!
What about the
Grandfather Clause?
In formation at the
bottom of this posting.
Long-running Russell
Home in danger of being shut down over licensing
Updated: May 24,
2016 - 7:53 PM
A home that’s cared
for severely disabled children and adults for decades
is at risk of being
shut down by the state in a fight over paperwork.
Two dozen people
live at The Russell Home for Atypical Children in Orlando,
and it’s been in
operation for more than 60 years,
but now licensing
requirements could take it away.
The Agency for
Health Care Administration, or ACHA,
has put the facility
on notice,
saying it must
define a service or face fines and ultimately closure.
“This is a pillar in
the community and there’s nothing else like it, and that’s part of the
problem,”
said board member
Mike Haag.
The services are so
broad and the residents have so many different needs,
the home doesn’t fit
into a single category by the state.
The Russell's said
while they haven’t had a state license,
they have operated
under extensive oversight from various agencies,
including
state-appointed guardians and case managers.
It is also operating
under the
Grandfather Clause
A portion of a
statute that provides that the law is not applicable
in certain
circumstances due to preexisting facts.
In April 2014,
Kissimmee Mayor pro tem Sara Shaw
and her boyfriend,
Peter Sendtko,
moved into the home
under adverse possession.
It’s an account that
had been auto-paying the utility bills
at the home since
Woosley died in 2012.