Dr. Saralyn Grass
Office: 904-651-5959
Dr. Saralyn Grass is a nationally recognized expert in school and child care policy, educational settings, early learning standards and child safety in youth-serving programs. With over 20 years of experience in overseeing, developing and evaluating educational systems she brings a unique combination of high-level policy knowledge and real-world operational insight.
Dr. Grass has served in leadership roles at both the state and municipal levels. She has written administrative rules governing early learning programs, advised on child care legislation and led statewide initiatives focused on improving outcomes for children and families. Her work includes drafting and enforcing provider standards related to supervision, mandated reporting, injury documentation and environmental safety.
As a leader in program oversight, she has directed teams responsible for reviewing provider compliance, conducting incident reviews and developing corrective-action plans. She works closely with legal counsel, state licensing entities, early learning and public school providers to ensure that systems of care are both safe and accountable. Her expertise includes the evaluation of organizational negligence, staff conduct and adherence to licensing regulations and internal policies.
In addition to her policy and oversight work, Dr. Grass is an experienced Guardian ad Litem. In this volunteer role, she has represented the best interests of children involved in dependency cases, conducted home and case file reviews and made formal recommendations to the court regarding child safety and placement. This work has deepened her understanding of how complex systems can either protect or fail vulnerable children.
Dr. Grass holds a doctorate in Educational Policy and Program Evaluation. She has taught graduate-level courses in early childhood education, education and administration and educational policy - preparing future leaders in the field. Her academic background supports her ability to assess provider behavior through a research-informed lens and provides her findings clearly in both written reports and testimony.
She has been engaged as an expert in cases involving alleged negligence in supervision, alleged child abuse and/or failure to report suspected child abuse and injury resulting from unsafe program environments. Her reviews include comparisons of staff conduct against applicable licensing regulations, provider policies, national best practices and the expected standard of care.
Dr. Grass is also an adoptive parent and brings personal insight into the importance of high-quality care during a child's most vulnerable years. Her passion for protecting children, combined with her deep knowledge of child care systems makes her a trusted resource in cases involving child safety, mandated reporting, Pre-K through 12 education and institutional responsibility.
- Child Safety
- Education & Schools
- Playground Safety
- School Safety
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Doctor of Education in Educational Policy and Program Evaluation, Florida State University (2014)
Master of Science in Human Development, Virginia Tech (2005)
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of North Florida (2004) - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Co-Chair, Project One Health Regional Advisory Council (2025)
Committee Member, Florida Bar Citizens Advisory Committee (2025-Present)
Co-Chair, Grants Decision Team, Women’s Giving Alliance (2024-Present)
Board Member, The River Club (2022-Present)
Volunteer, Guardian ad Litem (2015–Present)
Board Member and Officer, Florida Afterschool Network (2020-Present) - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: UNF (2020-2023, 2026-Present) - Adjunct Professor. Graduate level instruction in
-Early Childhood Policy and Law
-School Finance, Social and Emotional Learning
- Community Resoures
-Curriculum & Instruction in Early Childhood
-Program Planning in Early Childhood
Florida State University (2010-2011, 2020-2022) - Adjunct Professor. Graduate level instruction in
-Evaluation of New Educational Programs and Practices
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 25
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: I have been engaged as an expert in cases involving alleged negligence in supervision, alleged child abuse and/or failure to report suspected child abuse and injury resulting from unsafe program environments.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 60%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 40%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: April 2025
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 4
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 4
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 3
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: My services include document analyses, report creation and comparisons of staff conduct against applicable licensing regulations, provider policies, national best practices and the expected standard of care.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $550
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $550
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $550
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $5500/day - Trial work is typically billed as a full 10-hour day, negotiable dependent upon certain circumstances.
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: $250 for travel expenses (Only charge for actual travel time plus expenses - federal rates acceptable)
Available Upon Request