The U.S. Department of Education today released a new toolkit to inspire and support current and former foster youth pursuing college and career opportunities. The
This guide is designed to help you learn more about treatment for youth in foster care who have experienced trauma and are working to improve
View Making Healthy Choices: A Guide for Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care
This report highlights the research on the disparities that exist between LGBTQ foster youth and their non-LGBTQ peers, as well as the compounding effects these factors have
This law (SB 386) drops the automatic expunction age from 24 to 21. It also allows some young adults to seek expunction of their juvenile
Stolen Future -The foster care system in the United States serves approximately 700,000 youths. Every year over 26,000 of those children age out of foster care. As those youths transition
This factsheet was written for foster parents to help them learn about LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) youth in the child welfare system,
The process to get approved for a job that requires a state of Florida background screening for people with criminal convictions. For all your questions
For all questions about how to go about sealing and expunging any criminal records, please click on the full PDF report below. Seal & Expunge
FYS Events & Meeting Chair
(Palm Beach)
Hello, My name is Alexia Nechayev. I am 25 years old and I am an alumna of Florida International University where I received my B.A. in Psychology. My future career goal is to be a Lawyer. I was in care for about one year from age 17 to 18. Prior to entering care, I only knew about the negative stigma regarding foster care and while in care that narrative was unfortunately my experience.
In school I felt like I was on display because my status in care was broadcast to other students and in my placement behavior was leveraged for “privileges” that should be a natural right of all children. Because I did not know my rights I did not know that what I was experiencing was wrong. Today this is exactly why I advocate, because I don’t want this to be the same for other youth who are experiencing foster care.
This is my second year on the FYS Statewide Board and I’m happy to be the Events and Meetings Chair this year because my main goal through advocacy is to reach as many people as possible. My favorite thing as a board member is to see how comfortable members become while working together. The community needs to know that youth in foster care are real people, going through some of the hardest moments of their life and youth need to know that their voice is powerful. I believe that we have to speak up and bring these issues to people’s attention so that they do not forget us. Advocacy, education and consistency is the only way.
