PART 4 OF OUR ONGOING SERIES EXAMINING FOSTER CARE
Becoming
Independent An 18th birthday brings a lot of changes for a foster child. Luckily, there are programs to help make successful transitions into adulthood. WRITER: MARY ANN DESANTIS PHOTOS: MATTHEW GAULIN
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elebrating an 18th birthday, graduating high school, deciding between continuing education or getting a job are all exciting first steps into adulthood. For teens that have grown up in the foster care system, however, those milestones can be quite intimidating. If foster teens make wrong choices, they most likely do not have parents to fall back on. “Aging out” happens when foster children turn 18 years old and, thus, become legal adults. Kids Central, Inc. — the community-based agency that works with the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Fifth Judicial Circuit — administers an independent living program for teens about to leave the foster care system. Coordinators begin the transition planning process when children in the foster care system turn age 17. The young person’s goals are the driving force for the transition plan, which looks at academic and career options as well as counseling and medical needs. Years ago, foster children did not have an option to remain in foster care after their 18th birthday — whether they
were ready or not for the world. The independent living program, however, offers foster youth an option to remain in extended foster care until they turn 22 if they are enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution or until age 23 if they have medical disabilities. Those furthering their education can get financial assistance through Florida’s Post Secondary Education Service Support program. “I felt very comfortable transitioning into Independent Living,” says 21-yearold Brandon F. of Lake County. “I had a supportive team of mentors who guided me through the process.” Brandon, currently a sophomore at the University of Florida majoring in philosophy, believes the Independent Living program administered through Kids Central taught him the life skills he needed. He also credits the support from his foster parents, who adopted him, for his success. Likewise, 22-year-old Giovanni M. believes the Independent Living program through Kids Central helped her develop skills that were necessary
to her success. The former Lake County resident spent four years in the foster care system. She is finishing her studies at College of Central Florida in Ocala and plans a career in social work, where she can work with foster kids. “My advice to other youth who are in the foster care system is to remember you can be anything you set your mind to,” says Giovanni. “Don’t let the label people put on you stop you.” Currently, Kids Central serves 16 Lake County youths in its independent living program, and 13 of those are enrolled in higher education institutions. The others are 18 year olds who are completing high school or General Equivalency Diploma programs. Often, foster children get academically behind because of moves or the traumatic situations they’ve endured that put them into foster care in the first place. They are aging out of the system, but still need to complete high school or a GED. “This year, we’ve been working on approving homes where these young people can stay after they age out,” says Hannah Rios, supervisor for Kids Central’s Independent Living
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