New DCF head takes over at fiery time for agency
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
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
By Sascha Cordner, WSFU Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013 The new interim head of Florida’s child welfare agency is calling on her staff to refocus
By: John Pecatti, Daily Business Review Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 Florida warehouses disabled children in nursing homes where they are often kept from
By Margie Menzel, News Service of Florida Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 TALLAHASSEE — In the wake of a fifth child death in little more
By Howard M. Talenfeld Published: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 It”s been a deadly time for children under the watch of the Florida Department of
By MARGIE MENZEL, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Published July 23, 2012 THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE-………Student protesters at Gov. Rick Scott”s office spent Monday talking with
OUR OPINION: Gov. Scott must appoint a new leader committed to keeping kids safe BY MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL, HERALDED@MIAMIHERALD.COM Published: June 22, 2013 Gov. Rick Scott
By: Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald Published: Monday, July 22, 2013 A Homestead man has been charged with shaking his 2-year-old son to
By Carol Marbin Miller and Katia Savchuk, The Miami Herald CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM Published on Monday, July 22, 2013 Florida healthcare regulators have acted with “deliberate
By Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida Published: Friday, July 19, 2013 TALLAHASSEE | Esther Jacobo, the new interim secretary of the Florida Department
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.