Search
Donate

FOSTER KID STIPEND CAP MULLED TUESDAY

FOSTER KID STIPEND CAP MULLED TUESDAY

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
A bill that would lop two years off the time that young adults in Florida’s foster care system may receive a state stipend will come before a House panel on Tuesday. The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee will consider the measure (PCB HCAS 12-03), which would reduce funding for participants in the Road to Independence program by dropping their eligibility from age 23 to 21. The bill’s supporters say the state cannot afford to support young adults who are old enough to support themselves. Opponents include the members of Florida Youth SHINE, an advocacy group for young people in foster care or aging out of it. According to the group – which gathered 60 letters in opposition to the bill – they are much more at risk for homelessness and criminal activity than youth with families. Without the stipend, said FYS chair Jesse Wilson, “these kids are going to end up in other systems of government – homeless shelters or the criminal justice system.” According to the Independent Living Transitional Services Critical Checklist 2010, by the time Florida’s foster youth turn 17, 46 percent have failed their grade-level FCAT.

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp

Related Posts

Stay In Touch

Sign up for our Newsletter
Board PhotosHeadshots (6)

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.

Skip to content