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Former foster care child is honored for helping other youth

Left to right: Howard Talenfeld, Christina Spudeas, Keisha Anthony, Carlos Martinez and Michael Dunlavy
Left to right: Howard Talenfeld, Christina Spudeas, Keisha Anthony, Carlos Martinez and Michael Dunlavy MICHAEL MURPHY COURTESY

 

Kenisha Anthony entered the foster care system when she was 5 years old.

After she aged out at 18, she didn’t know where to go or what to do.

“When I aged out, I didn’t feel like my social worker had my best interest,” she said. “I wasn’t able to get independent living or any benefits. I didn’t know my rights. I got no help.”

Anthony wanted to keep that from happening to other foster children. She joined Florida Children’s First, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting foster children and other at-risk youth, in 2013.

Since then, she has helped advise people who want to be guardians ad litem; volunteered during Children’s Week, a grassroots children’s event supported by more than 100 nonprofit, corporate and faith-based organizations; and advised people who want to become foster parents.

Last month, Florida Children’s First recognized Anthony and other community leaders at the nonprofit’s annual Miami Fundraiser and Awards Ceremony. She was given the Youth Advocate of the Year award for her work in the community and with children in the foster care system.

“I’m just doing things from my heart,” she said. “It meant a lot to me to be recognized for my hard work. I’m appreciative that people are looking at me and supporting my endeavor.”

Anthony, now 23, is a junior at Florida State University. She graduates in December with a bachelor’s degree in social work.

“I set goals and accomplished them day-by-day,” she said. “In high school, I realized you have to find a way to make it on your own.”

Before she graduates, Anthony wants to study abroad in London and Prague to work with victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Also recognized during the award ceremony was Rep. Erik Fresen (R-Miami), who was named Champion of Children’s Rights for sponsoring the Attorneys for Dependent Children with Special Needs bill in the House of Representatives. The piece of legislation provides attorneys the right to protect dependent children with disabilities who are in legal custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). The bill passed in July 2014.

BY ALEXI C. CARDONA    ACARDONA@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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Alexia Nechayev

FYS Events & Meeting Chair
(Palm Beach/Miami)

Alexia Nechayev, from Miami, Florida, is a dedicated advocate for youth with lived experience in foster care and with homelessness. After being placed in foster care as a teenager, Alexia experienced firsthand the stigma surrounding the system, as well as the challenges of navigating a system that didn’t provide support for her to advocate for herself. This experience motivated her to create change, ensuring that other youth in care have the tools and resources she lacked.

She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University, and upon graduation worked as a Hope Navigator with the Department of Children and Families which allowed her to assist clients through individualized care plans, further deepening her commitment to improving the lives of marginalized youth. Alexia is now applying to law schools with the goal of advancing her advocacy work through a legal career. As the Events and Meetings Chair for Florida Youth SHINE (FYS), she creates opportunities for foster and homeless youth to collaborate and push for meaningful change. She is also an active member of the Policy and Initiative Team for Florida Youth SHINE, where she helps create and shape policies that directly impact youth in foster care. One of her proudest accomplishments is helping to develop the Foster Care Bill of Rights, a law that she feels would have made a difference during her own time in care.

In addition to her work with FYS, Alexia serves on the Board of Directors for the parent organization of FYS, Florida’s Children First. In this role, she contributes to strategic decision-making while advocating for the rights and welfare of children statewide.

Every year, she travels to the state capitol to advocate for bills she and her peers have helped shape, including key pieces of legislation that benefit foster and homeless youth. However her advocacy extends beyond her state, as she represents Florida Youth SHINE at national conferences such as the National Leaders 4 Change Conference.

Through her internship with the National Foster Youth Institute, Alexia continues to refine her advocacy skills, preparing for a future where she can contribute meaningfully to both policymaking and the legal system. Guided by the belief that “the blue sky is always there,” she remains committed to ensuring that every youth in foster care has the power and support to advocate for themselves.

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