Rick Scott, Governor
David Wilkins, Secretary
Extension of Foster Care and
Independent Living Redesign
Implementation Planning Meeting
June 12, 2013
Mission: Protect the Vulnerable, Promote Strong and Economically Self- Sufficient Families,
and Advance Personal and Family Recovery and Resiliency.
Brief History and Background
Federal Law
• The Chafee Foster Care Independence Act (1999)
State Law
• Road to Independence Act (2002)
Privatization of Service Delivery
• Child Welfare System Institutionalized in CBCs
(1998 – Legislative Authority)
(2002-2005 – Implementation)
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Allocated Funds
Total Independent Living Funding
Funding
State Fiscal
Year
From IL
Budget
From Other
CBC State
Funds
Total
2009-10
$30,170,469
$21,709,631
2010-11
$29,451,721
2011-12
$29,476,721
Federal
State
$51,880,100
$9,042,586
$42,837,514
$22,828,866
$52,280,587
$8,161,242
$44,119,345
$19,562,437
$49,039,158
$8,181,242
$40,857,916
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Independent Living FY2011-12
Case Coordination
and
Life Skills Training
Aftercare
Services
Subsidized
Independent
Living
# Clients
Served
Total
Expenditures
# Clients
Served
Total
Expenditures
# Clients
Served
Total
Expenditures
5,212
$13,066,982
76
$276,761
561
$628,794
Transitional
Support
Services
Road
To
Independence
# Clients
Served
Total
Expenditures
# Clients
Served
Total
Expenditures
1,527
$5,208,321
3,418
$29,858,300
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Today’s Young Adults
Of the 2,956 young adults reported in FSFN:
• 1,103 young adults reflect some college, college degree, postgraduate work or post-graduate degree.
• 217 reflect Vocational/Technical education status.
• 1,615 are pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
• 15 have a None or Unknown or Non-graded special education
listed in their record.
• 6 have no educational record.
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2013 My Services Survey Results
•
2% are employed full time at age 18; 9% at age 22.
•
40% of 18- to 22-year-olds had no home and "couch surfed.”
•
28% have been homeless.
•
47% between ages 18-22 receive public food assistance.
•
40% report that they have been arrested; 30% report they have been in
jail or detention.
•
27% of females have a child by the time they are 18; 59% of females
who are 22 have a child.
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2013 Landmark Legislation
“Nancy C. Detert Common Sense and
Compassion Independent Living Act”
Extends foster care to age 21
Transfers life skills training responsibility to
foster parents or group home parents
Restructures Road to Independent
Program
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New Service Delivery Model for
Young Adults
Opt Out
Aftercare
Case
Management
& Judicial
Reviews
RTI
Extended
Foster Care
High School
Diploma/
GED
Post
Secondary
Education
Post
Secondary
Education
Post Secondary
Campus Coaches
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Extended Foster Care
Eligibility
• Extends Foster Care from 18 to 21 if certain criteria are met:
– Completing a secondary education program leading to a high school
diploma or equivalent credential
– Enrolled in a postsecondary or vocational institution
– Participating in a program or activity designed to promote or eliminate
barriers to employment
– Employed for at least 80 hours per month
– Unable to participate in any of the activities listed above due to a
documented physical, intellectual, emotional, or psychiatric condition
• Permits young adults who have opted-out of Extended Foster Care
to re-enter
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Foster Care Redesign
•
“Reasonable and prudent parent” standard
•
Minimum foster care room and board rates and annual cost-of-living adjustment
•
Caregivers equip youth with Life Skills and prepare youth for Postsecondary
Success
•
10% supplemental monthly board rate payment to foster parents teaching life
skills to youth age 13-17 placed in their care
•
Court-Approved Transition Plan for 17-year-olds
•
Important documents provided to 17-year-olds (Medicaid, social security card
and identification cards, a birth certificate, educational and health records)
•
Information about RTI, extended foster care, public assistance to 17-year-olds
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Extended Foster Care
Requirements
• Appropriate Supervised Living Arrangements: Foster Home,
Group Home, College Dormitory, Shared Housing, Apartment or
another housing arrangement approved by the community-based
care lead agency
• Bi-Annual Judicial Reviews
• Regular Case Management Services and Supervision, including
Monthly Contact/Visitation
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Independent Living Redesign
• All students currently enrolled in the Road-to-Independence
(RTI) program who are attending secondary or postsecondary
educational programs as of Dec. 31, 2013 will be
“grandfathered in.”
• Students “grandfathered in” who are attending secondary
educational programs will have the opportunity to enter
Extended Foster Care beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
• Placement, method of payment, and amount of payment
remains the same for any “grandfathered in” student.
• A ‘Campus Coach Program’ will be created to provide
postsecondary support for current or former young adults in
foster care.
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Road-to-Independence Eligibility
As of Jan. 1, 2014, RTI is a post-secondary educational stipend program.
• Students must have “aged out” of the foster care system and have
spent a total of 6 months in licensed care; or
• Have been at least 16 years of age when they were adopted from
foster care or placed with a court-approved dependency guardian after
spending at least 6 months in licensed care within the 12 months
immediately preceding such placement or adoption.
• Be a Florida resident.
• Have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Have reached the age of 18 but are not yet 23.
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Road-to-Independence Payments
• Individual RTI payments for students who opt to leave foster care
are fixed at $1,256 per month.
• For students who opt to stay in foster care and reside in a foster
home or group home placement, the RTI payment amount will be
the equivalent of the foster care board rate or negotiated group
home rate.
• For students who opt to remain in foster care and temporarily reside
away from a foster or group home placement, the RTI payment
amount is fixed at $1,256 per month.
• Students are eligible to receive RTI payments for those months for
which they are enrolled as a full-time student at a Florida Bright
Futures eligible institution (part-time with a documented disability).
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Aftercare Services
Emergency and short-term services for young adults
formerly in foster care who opt out of Extended Foster
Care include:
– Emergency rent payments to prevent homelessness
– Payments for emergency car repairs
– Employment assistance and training
– Mental heath and substance abuse services
– Educational planning, preparation and application supports
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Services Being Phased Out
As of Jan. 1, 2014, the following will be
phased out:
– Preindependent Living
– Subsidized Independent Living
– Transitional Support Services
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Upcoming
• Monthly statewide meetings
• New Web site for updates
• Frequent communication
• FAQs, fliers, posters, brochures, guides
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THANK YOU!
Countless children and young adults in
Florida stand to benefit from these
changes. Thank you for helping to make
the implementation of this landmark
legislation efficient, comprehensive and
effective!
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