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For Youth

Know Your Rights: MONEY

Our most recent publication! This booklet covers key issues for youth in out-of-home care: obtaining money, master trust accounts, and special concerns for youth with disabilities.

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How to Get Your Child Welfare Records

Children and young adults are entitled to a complete and accurate copy of their child welfare records under Florida Statute 39.00145. This publication explains the law and provides a form to help youth make a formal request for records.

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Adult Adoption: Brochure & Forms

Many young people are discouraged about adoption because they think they’ve missed the change to connect with forever family. But it’s never too late! This brochure explains the Florida law on adult adoptions. The separate appendix provides the documents and forms for adult adoptions.

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Your Future, Your Choice: A Guide to What Every Teen Should Know About the Law

This handbook helps youth understand what actions can get you in trouble with the law. It identifies the acts for which minors are often charged, illustrates the behavior that can result in arrest, and highlights the consequences of arrest and adjudication. This is a publication of the University of Florida Levin College of Law Center on Children and Families, March 2009, revised September 2010.

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Alexia Nechayev

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.

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