Statewide Quality Assurance Report

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Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance ReportYouth would like to see foster parents and group home staff undergoes stricter backgroundchecks. Youth also stated that they would also like caseworkers to do more unannounced visitsto the foster care placements. Additionally, youth recommended that foster parents and staffundergo more youth-sensitive trainings so that they can be more familiar with how to treat theirfoster youth, especially teenagers. The youth also expressed concern that siblings should beplaced together. The youth additionally expressed concern that foster youth should not betreated differently from biological youth, and their access to common areas in the home shouldnot be restricted.Further, the youth expressed concerns over not being involved in their court hearings. Theyouth felt that it was very important to be involved in their court hearings so they could talk tothe judge directly about their placements and any other concerns, as well as know about theirlegal rights in foster care.Many youth at the roundtable experienced going to more than one school during theschool year. Youth expressed that there was a lack of support from the educational systemitself, because no one knew that they were in foster care. Some youth also stated that they didnot want to be identified as being in foster care and labeled. Locally, Educate Tomorrow has aneducational mentoring program for foster youth, which the youth have found to be verybeneficial. Additionally, Educate Tomorrow has collaborated with the Miami Dade CountyPublic Schools to train high school counselors to help foster youth with their educational needsand has started foster youth support groups in high schools with the largest number of fosteryouth, for those youth who wish to participate.Also, the local juvenile court and Miami Dade public schools are beginning to experimentwith video-conferencing, so that some youth may participate in their court hearings fromschool.Transportation: Transportation is a major issue for youth in foster care. Many youth expressedthat they were not transported to medical appointments, to family visitations, to court hearings,and to other important appointments. Sometimes, there were disagreements between thecaseworker and the foster parents as to whom should be responsible for transportation. Theyouth expressed the need to have this disagreement resolved. The youth also expressed that itis important to have someone with them for medical appointments so that someone cancommunicate with the doctor and they are not just dropped-off.Office of Family Safety | Page 49
Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance ReportFor youth over age 18 who are in the Road to Independence program, transportation wasalso a concern. Previously, the Miami Dade County Commission had provided free bus passes tothese youth, but this program stopped. This had been very beneficial to the youth financially,because of their limited RTI funds. The youth discussed trying to advocate to restore thisprogram.Services: Youth expressed that they received some form of counseling while they were in fostercare. However, many youth did not receive counseling with their parents or with their fosterparents. Youth expressed that they would like to receive more counseling with their parents, aswell as counseling with their foster parents to maintain harmony in their placements.The youth expressed concerns about being over-labeled with psychiatric diagnoses andbeing given unnecessary psychotropic drugs that negatively impact them.The youth appreciate receiving Medicaid. The youth would like to see Medicaid extended untilthe age of 23.Many youth feel that the Independent Living classes are not helpful to them and do notprepare them for adulthood. They believe that the IL classes should be more hands-on andpractice-based.Youth were concerned about being in the middle of high school when they turn age 18. Theyare concerned about a lack of places where they can live and an inability to support themselveswhile they complete high school. Youth greatly appreciate the Road to Independence program.The youth depend on the RTI monthly stipend to be able to complete their education, and theyouth are very afraid about the possibility of the RTI stipend being reduced.Additionally, youth are concerned that in the last several months, many youth have been deniedTransitional funds for books and furniture and Aftercare funds for housing and otheremergencies. Some youth have been able to appeal decisions with the help of legal agencies,but other youth have been unable to wait to appeal while they experience the emergency. Theyouth are also concerned that some youth don’t receive their monthly foster care allowance,and some youth only receive a very small amount. Youth receive very different amounts,depending on what case management agency they are with, and the youth feel that this unfair.The youth feel that all teenagers in foster care should receive the same allowance amount andthere should be accountability to ensure that the allowance is provided to them.The youth appreciate community organizations that assist them. Locally, the youthexpressed that Educate Tomorrow, the Miami Chapter of Florida Youth SHINE, and CasaOffice of Family Safety | Page 50
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Statewide Quality Assurance Report

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