Detert: Lawmakers Will Fix Extended Foster Care
The sponsor of Florida’s 2013 law extending foster care to age 21 is working on a legislative fix to resolve confusion about which state agency
The sponsor of Florida’s 2013 law extending foster care to age 21 is working on a legislative fix to resolve confusion about which state agency
As much as we Americans tend to worship our professional sports stars — even as they’re being arrested for domestic violence or child abuse or
One of the worst problems facing Florida’s troubled child-welfare system, advocates say, is job turnover among the case managers who oversee adoption and foster-care services
The Florida Department of Children and Families is working with the agency that oversees child welfare in Miami to resolve issues that have included an
Georgina Rodriguez spent most of her life growing up in foster care. She entered the system at age six and aged out at 18. In the
Florida welfare officials and child advocates expect a surge of children to flood strained state system BY ATHENA PONUSHIS aponushis@floridaweekly.com MORE CHILDREN ARE ENTERING THE
Today, Governor Rick Scott announced he has signed House Bill 561, which requires the appointment of an attorney to represent dependent children who have special
Doris Freyre believes her daughter would still be alive today if an attorney had intervened. But Marie Freyre, 14, only had her mother to fight
The organization that gives a political voice to young people in Florida’s dependency system recognized local youth Daniel Pettus for using his own voice to
The Department of Children and Families has constantly come under fire and now lawmakers and Governor Rick Scott have stepped in to do something about
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.