What Children in Foster Care Need Is Parenting
We thank guest blogger Alan Abramowitz for sharing this news about the “normalcy bill” currently being debated in his state of Florida. Abramowitz is the executive director
We believe that all children have the right to food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, property and personal privacy.
Florida’s laws, policies and practices respect, prioritize and protect children and youth impacted by the child welfare, juvenile justice, and disability systems.
We thank guest blogger Alan Abramowitz for sharing this news about the “normalcy bill” currently being debated in his state of Florida. Abramowitz is the executive director
After months of intense criticism, Florida healthcare regulators have quietly announced new rules that could enable hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Floridians to raise their
A Miami Gardens nursing home linked to the deaths of two youngsters is closing its 60-bed children’s unit, the epicenter of a bitter dispute over
PRACTICE FOCUS: CHILD WELFARE One can only hope that new penalties and the threats of punishment will lead to a shortened list of missing children
No Nonsense Nancy got misty eyed. State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, has long built a reputation as a tough legislator worthy of the intimidating firefighter’s
By Jan Pudlow, Senior Editor “Go live and start communicating!” That’s the enthusiastic invitation to those handling dependency and delinquency cases from Florida’s Children First,
Florida’s Legal Online Resource, Information Driven Access – F4CF is a resource for all attorneys and judges who work in the child welfare and juvenile
(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) commemorated President Obama’s signing of the Uninterrupted Scholars Act (S.3472). The Uninterrupted Scholars Act is bipartisan legislation
Florida’s Children First is proud to introduce their new Equal Justice Works Fellow, Hasti Barahmand, sponsored by The Florida Bar Foundation and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
The GAO raises continuing concerns about the adequacy of mental health services for children – especially those in foster care. Click to read full report
By ALAN ABRAMOWITZ / Special to the Herald As the executive director of the statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, I talk to many children and
In a drab, cramped conference room in Doral, a 45-year-old single mother is fighting with the state to secure in-home nursing care for her severely
Tampa Bay Times: Florida mother’s lonely fight ends with disabled son’s death By Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald In Print: Saturday, December 29, 2012 Tereza
“Remember, I love you always.” Isn’t that what we all want our children to know? If you were never going to see your child again
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.