Judy Schelin is a former childcare administrator from Broward County, Florida. Most people who know her name know it from two things: a 2010 federal bribery conviction filed under the name Judy Perlin, and a 2015 hiring scandal at a Boca Raton religious school that made local headlines for weeks.
She also appears in public records as Judy Scherlin and Judy Schindel. What her case revealed about Florida’s childcare background check system is still being discussed by policymakers today , because the loophole she slipped through wasn’t obscure. It was embarrassingly simple.
Judy Schelin: Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Judy Schelin |
| Also Known As | Judy Perlin, Judy Scherlin, Judy Schindel |
| Date of Birth | December 1951 |
| Age (2026) | Approximately 74 years old |
| Birthplace | Merrill, Iowa, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Former Childcare Administrator, Nonprofit Executive |
| Key Organization | Riverwood Center, Broward County (nonprofit childcare) |
| Conviction Year | 2010 (federal bribery, under name Judy Perlin) |
| Bribery Amount | Approx. $40,000 in improper payments |
| 2015 Employer | Congregation B’Nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida |
| Husband | Gary Schindel |
| Residence | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Current Role | Reportedly payroll manager (post-childcare career) |
| Social Media | No verified public accounts |
Early Life: From Merrill, Iowa to Broward County
Judy Schelin was born in December 1951 in Merrill, Iowa , a small farming town in the state’s northwest corner. Communities like Merrill run on trust. Everyone knows everyone. That context matters when you look at where her story eventually went.
She moved to South Florida at some point and built her entire professional life in Broward County, one of Florida’s most populous areas and home to a large network of state-funded early childhood education programs. The shift from small-town Iowa to the complex world of South Florida nonprofit administration gave her two decades of public responsibility , and eventually, public consequences.
Professional Career: Years of Childcare Administration
For much of her adult life, Judy Schelin worked in childcare administration and nonprofit management across Broward County. Her career was built around publicly funded daycare programs serving low-income families , programs that depended heavily on government money and public trust.
Her responsibilities weren’t small. She handled budget management for subsidized childcare programs, staff oversight across multiple facilities, regulatory compliance with state and federal funding requirements, and financial reporting to government agencies. One of her main associations was with Riverwood Center, a Broward County nonprofit delivering subsidized childcare to families who relied on government assistance.
For years, she was a known and trusted name in the local social services world. That reputation is what made what came next so jarring.
State-Level Investigations: Early Warning Signs
Before any federal charges, state auditors were already looking at Riverwood Center’s billing records. What they found wasn’t a one-time mistake , it was a pattern that stretched across multiple audit cycles.
The issues included luxury car leases billed to the childcare program, resort hotel stays logged as program expenses, personal travel disguised as operational costs, administrative fees that went beyond what state guidelines allowed, and program resources that appeared to benefit private family business interests.
When confronted, Schelin voluntarily repaid some amounts while disputing others, saying she had misunderstood the billing rules. An administrative law judge wasn’t persuaded. He ordered her to repay nearly $150,000 to the daycare centers and the state.
That finding didn’t end her career. Not yet.
The 2010 Federal Bribery Conviction
The turning point came in 2010. Under the name Judy Perlin, she pleaded guilty to accepting $40,000 in bribes while she was responsible for a youth education program. The funds she’d misused were meant to provide meals and education to low-income children and families.
Key Facts of the Conviction
| Detail | Facts |
| Conviction Year | 2010 |
| Name Used | Judy Perlin |
| Charge | Federal bribery |
| Program Involved | Federally subsidized youth education / food program |
| Amount | Approx. $40,000 in improper payments |
| Funds Intended For | Low-income children and families |
| Prior State Finding | $150,000 repayment order (early 2000s) |
A felony conviction for stealing from a children’s program is serious on its own. But the name under which it was filed , Judy Perlin , would later become the center of an entirely separate problem.
Multiple Names: Why This Matters
Judy Schelin appears in public records under at least four different name variations: Judy Schelin (her primary professional name), Judy Perlin (the name on her federal conviction), Judy Scherlin (a variant spelling found in records), and Judy Schindel (from her marriage to Gary Schindel).
Name changes through marriage are normal and legal. But in her case, the practical result was a clean background check. Any employer who searched “Judy Schelin” found nothing. The 2010 federal bribery conviction lived under “Judy Perlin” in federal court records. Without someone specifically cross-referencing both names, the connection simply didn’t appear.
That gap sat undetected for years. Then 2015 happened.
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The 2015 Boca Raton Controversy Explained
In early 2015, Judy Schelin was hired as a teacher in the infant program at Congregation B’Nai Israel, a religious school in Boca Raton , working with children as young as six weeks old.
What the School Did
The school ran background checks through two separate agencies: the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Both checks came back with the same result: no arrest history on record. She was cleared. She also signed a sworn affidavit stating she had never been fined, disciplined, or faced legal sanctions in any professional capacity.
What Actually Happened
That affidavit was false. Her federal conviction was a matter of public record , just filed under a different name.
Her care of the infants in the program was described as superb. Initially, the school defended the hiring. But when local blogs connected Judy Schelin to Judy Perlin and published the link, parents reacted immediately.
Two readers contacted local outlet West Boca News about it. The concealment of a felony conviction combined with a false affidavit made her continued employment impossible. She was fired after her past was detailed on the blog Boca News Now.
What the Case Exposed About Florida’s Childcare Laws
The Judy Schelin story wasn’t just a local scandal. It exposed two concrete failures in Florida’s system for protecting children in licensed care settings.
1. Bribery Was Not a Disqualifying Offense
Officials from the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County confirmed that at the time, federal bribery was not on Florida’s list of crimes that automatically barred someone from working in a licensed childcare facility. A person with a felony conviction for stealing from a children’s food program could legally take a childcare job under state law. There was no rule against it.
2. Background Checks Were Name-Dependent
The DCF background check did not reveal the federal conviction because it was run under the name Schelin, not Perlin. Florida’s standard screening systems queried by surname. Without cross-referencing Social Security numbers, birth dates, or other identifiers, a conviction under a prior name stayed completely invisible.
Reform Calls That Followed
The case pushed advocates and legislators to call for:
- Expanded disqualifying offense lists covering federal financial crimes tied to children’s programs
- Background checks that cross-reference SSN and date of birth rather than relying on names alone
- Mandatory disclosure of all names used in the prior decade
- Stronger penalties for false affidavits in childcare hiring
Judy Schelin vs. Judge Judy Sheindlin: An Important Distinction
For anyone who landed here from a search: Judy Schelin and Judge Judy Sheindlin are two completely different people. The names sound alike, but they share nothing in common. This article is about Judy Schelin , also known as Judy Perlin , the Broward County childcare administrator with a 2010 federal bribery conviction. Not the TV judge.
Where Is Judy Schelin Now?
As of 2026, Judy Schelin is no longer active in childcare administration or nonprofit management. She has been reportedly working as a payroll manager , still in administrative work, but well outside the regulated childcare space. She has no verified public social media presence.
FAQs About Judy Schelin
Who is Judy Schelin?
She is a former childcare administrator from Broward County, Florida, best known for her 2010 federal bribery conviction under the name Judy Perlin and a 2015 hiring controversy at a Boca Raton religious school.
What did Judy Schelin do?
She managed publicly funded childcare and youth education programs in Broward County for decades. In 2010, she pleaded guilty to accepting approximately $40,000 in bribes while overseeing a federally subsidized youth education program.
Why does Judy Schelin have different names?
The names , Judy Perlin, Judy Scherlin, Judy Schindel, Judy Schelin , reflect marriage-related name changes at different points in her life. Her 2010 federal conviction was recorded under Judy Perlin, which caused it to remain invisible in standard background checks run under her later name.
How did Judy Schelin pass Florida background checks in 2015?
The checks were run under the name Judy Schelin, which returned no criminal history. Her conviction existed under Judy Perlin in federal records. Florida’s name-based systems had no mechanism to connect the two.
Was bribery a disqualifying offense for Florida childcare workers?
Not at the time. Florida officials confirmed that federal bribery was not on the state’s automatic disqualification list, even when the bribery directly involved funds meant for children.
What happened to Judy Schelin after 2015?
She was terminated from Congregation B’Nai Israel in January 2015 after her prior conviction came to light. As of 2026, she is reportedly working as a payroll manager and is no longer involved in childcare or nonprofit administration.
Is Judy Schelin the same as Judge Judy?
No. They are entirely different people. Judge Judy Sheindlin is a television personality. Judy Schelin is a former Florida childcare administrator with a 2010 federal bribery conviction.
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