As DCF Considers Changes, Former Foster Youth Speak Out
By REGAN MCCARTHY The Department of Children and Families’ recent troubles took center stage at the group’s Child Protection Summit this week in Orlando. The event
We believe that all children have the right to food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, property and personal privacy.
Florida’s laws, policies and practices respect, prioritize and protect children and youth impacted by the child welfare, juvenile justice, and disability systems.
By REGAN MCCARTHY The Department of Children and Families’ recent troubles took center stage at the group’s Child Protection Summit this week in Orlando. The event
Amid lawsuits and negative publicity, facilities accused of delivering inadequate care to sickly children are shutting down their pediatric units. ********************************* BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER cmarbin@MiamiHerald.com
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Florida”s Children”s First Executive Director Christina Spudeas, Florida Youth Shine Member Brandon Burke and Forever Family Founder and CEO, Gia Tutalo-Mote talk with Host Joe
By NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Credit Emily Michot / Miami Herald STAFF Department of Children and Families interim Secretary Esther Jacobo (middle, speaking) has previously
By: Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald Published: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 Miami-Dade County”s entire child welfare bench presided over a virtually unprecedented hearing Tuesday
By: Carol Marbin Miller and Audra D.S. Burch, Miami Herald Published: Sunday, August 18, 2013 On the day before she died, Jewel Re”nee Howard sat
By: Carol Marbin Miller and Audra D.S. Burch, Miami Herald Published: Sunday August 18, 2013 Aliyah Marie Branum spent much of her two years
In January, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri owned up to his office””s failures after a 5-year-old Clearwater girl died days after investigators pulled her
by: Margie Menzel News Service of Florida Published: August 9, 2013 As the state”s child welfare system rolls out what it callss a “transformation” to
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A young man who had a tough life growing up learned to not let his past control his future. Today, he works
When state child welfare administrators first spoke with Cierrah Raphael in early 2013, they reported she was a 21-year-old prostitute and drug user who had
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER, The Miami Herald Published: Monday, July 29 2013 Summer Stiles had no idea her toddler son had been missing for much
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM Like so many before her, Esther Jacobo’s ascension to the top of Florida’s long-troubled child welfare agency was forged in
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.