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Hillsborough County’s foster care provider: More than 2 dozen kids sleep in unlicensed facilities

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — For years, 8 On Your Side has reported on local foster kids sleeping in offices without a bed to lay their heads.

Critics said those same problems persist as a new state contractor, the Children’s Network of Hillsborough takes the reins of foster care from Eckerd Connects.

Information provided by the Children’s Network showed at least two dozen local foster kids are going to bed at night without a bed to call their own.

8 On Your Side has been exposing office placements since 2018 under Eckerd. Sources said the problem persists despite a new organization and new leadership.

“I’m not aware,” said Nadereh Salim, CEO, when asked about kids sleeping in unlicensed offices.

Reporter Brittany Muller confronted Salim about the issue at the children’s board meeting last week.

“We really frown on children staying in unlicensed facilities, so there are occasions when we’re not able to place a child in a licensed facility or a child will not go to a placement that has been identified, but as a practice, we absolutely do not want our children sleeping in offices or cars,” Salim said.

Salim claimed kids that are not placed with a foster family or relative are placed in group homes.

In response to our request, the organization’s attorney provided public records showing there were 27 kids who stayed in overnight unlicensed settings in July.

“Sad to say I’m not surprised because this has been an ongoing problem in Hillsborough County for many years, but be clear just because it’s happening does not mean it’s OK,” said Robin Rosenberg, the deputy director of Florida’s Children First. “No one should sleep in an office — especially not children who been abused and neglected.”

Florida’s Children First is an organization founded by child advocate attorneys fighting for at-risk kids throughout the state.

“The transition job is very difficult,” said Rosenberg. “There are a lot of moving parts. It would be unfair to expect that everything would be magically taken care of when a new provider came in – that would be unfair and unrealistic. But kids sleeping in offices is a court problem that was known prior to the new provider taking over it should be a top priority.”

 

by: Brittany Muller

Posted: Aug 15, 2022 / 06:32 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 15, 2022 / 06:32 PM EDT

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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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