DCF”s Transformation of Child Safety: Does It Cut Too Many Corners?
By: Margie Menzel, News Service of Florida Published: Saturday July 13, 2013 This month, the Florida Department of Children and Families launched a new
By: Margie Menzel, News Service of Florida Published: Saturday July 13, 2013 This month, the Florida Department of Children and Families launched a new
By: Carol Marbin Miller and Katia Savchuk, Miami Herald Published: Thursday, July 11, 2013 CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM The first time a Miami infant went to the
By: Lynn Hatter, WFSU Published: Wendesday, July 10, 2013 Florida Department of Children and Families officials say the deaths of four children in six
Recent cases have refocused attention on the need for change By Diana Gonzalez, NBC 6 Published: Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 Antwon Hope, Ezra Raphael, Bryan Osceola,
By Mike Clary, Sun-Sentinel Published on July 5, 2013 The number of Broward children removed from their homes over abuse and neglect concerns has increased
By John Romano, Tampa Times Columnist Published June 29, 2013 She was just a tiny thing when her mother walked out the door. Soon
by Gurjot Kaur Florida and Washington state, while on opposite ends of the continental United States, unite on one point— they are among the
By Howard Talenfeld June 5, 2013 It can be so easy to overlook Florida’s medically fragile foster children. They don’t have much of a voice.
Posted: May 13, 2013 – 4:06pm | Updated: May 14, 2013 – 4:05am David Wilkins says system changes are establishing a ‘bill of rights’ for children. How
Anubis Day and more than 200 other Florida children are at the heart of a bitter fight over the state’s practice of putting frail children
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.