May not be a minor point but DCF's authority is whatever the court gives to it..
I agree. Obviously, the first authority and responsibilities come from statute, but the L.G. "I want an abortion," DCF "No way Jose" case will necessarily result in a court saying which side wins. Right now, the SCOFLA "North Florida" case points to the kid prevailing (in my opinion), but the court might say the DCF involvement strips the kid of her right to an abortion. If it does, the logic will be interesting, to say the least ;-)