July 1 strikes fear in the hearts of teenagers like
Yusimil Herrera.
Advocates decry loss of funding for
older foster kids
On that day, the Road to Independence Act kicks in the
provision eliminating most types of assistance for foster children 18
and older who are not enrolled in school.
The law was, among other things, designed to encourage
older foster children to stay in school. But some critics have deemed
the law ''the road to homelessness act'' because they say, the law is
too restrictive, shutting out hundreds of kids from the adult care and
guidance they need.
'When they turn 18, [the state administrators] open
the door and say `see you later,' '' said Gerard F. Glynn, executive
director of Florida's Children First!
Child welfare advocates want to extend assistance for
older foster children, aiding those that are, for example, disabled or
so far behind academically that they are unlikely to be gearing up for
college. An amendment that would do just that passed the Senate during
the regular Legislative session and is awaiting a vote before the House.
A spokesman for Department of Children and Families
Secretary Jerry Regier did not return a call for comment.
The Road to Independence Act, which took effect in
October, says children in foster care can enroll in college full time,
and maintain a passing grade-point average, or they are on their own,
save for provisions that set aside up to $6,000 in housing, employment
or financial subsidies for each youth. There are no exceptions, even for
children with severe disabilities or mental health problems. That is the
problem, critics say.
Melissa Zelniker, an attorney at Legal Aid Services of
Broward who is representing many older foster children, says many of her
clients don't qualify and have already given up on getting benefits. ''I
am seeing the everyday effects on these children,'' she said. ``They are
living in the slums, six to seven people together.''
Herrera, 19, fears that she and her 2-year-old
daughter are headed for a similar fate. Right now, the pair are crashing
at the home of friends in North Miami Beach. On Tuesday afternoon, she
stood confidently before a room full of photographers and cameramen at a
press conference held at Kids in Distress, a private child welfare
service agency in Wilton Manors. ''I am not afraid to talk,'' she said.
''It's been terrible for me in HRS,'' the former acronym for Florida's
social service agency, now DCF.
She said she has been stymied by efforts to navigate
the housing market by herself, frustrated by DCF's paperwork
requirements. ''I really feel the governor should be in HRS for a
week,'' she said, referring to Gov. Jeb Bush. ``I challenge him. To go
from home to home, pack up all of your stuff. You can't stay stable.
``It's so lonely.''
25 June 2003
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2003/06/24/news/6160785.htm
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