Officials say Florida’s moving faster in finding good adoption match-ups for foster kids
Updated: 7:12 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 | Posted: 12:00 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 By Ana M. Valdes Palm Beach Post Staff Writer More than
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.
Updated: 7:12 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 | Posted: 12:00 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 By Ana M. Valdes Palm Beach Post Staff Writer More than
THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT: EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE AN ATTORNEY IN CHILD WELFARE PRO-CEEDINGS IN FLORIDA
A Guide for Judges, Lawyers, and Child Advocates. Click for the complete PDF.
Check out our event’s most recent press in the summer issue of Gold Coast Magazine!
To fully appreciate the impetus for creating the Regis Little Subcommittee of the Legal Needs of Children Committee of The Florida Bar, you have to
The Juvenile Justice Center at Barry University School of Law has received $250,000 from the Legislature to continue to improve the quality of representation for
Who is there to help a foster child with disabilities who turns 18 and becomes a legal adult? Deborah Schroth is taking the lead on
“Right for Kids” Report Paints Misleading Picture of Florida’s Child Welfare System Nonprofit advocacy group Florida’s Children First discusses issues Coral Springs, Fla. – Recently,
Article – 4 Charged in Foster Care Prostitution Ring
Florida’s Children First is proud to release this report in honor of our 10 year anniversary of operation. Inside, you will find messages from key
Article – Foster Kids leave school detour to brothel
Caseworkers speak in codes, complains a grandmother who has been through four in seven months. Lawyers never take a phone call. Foster parents need backup.
By Gloria W. Fletcher 10:24 a.m. EDT, June 2, 2012 If you are a child in dependency court in Florida, the numbers are stacked against
The Palm Beach Post Updated: 11:02 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012 Posted: 10:32 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012 POST IN DEPTH FOSTER CHILDREN By Ana
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.