Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

Department Response: The Department concurs with thisrecommendation. The Department will continue to work with theDepartment of Education in its efforts to develop this definition.School District and DOE Collaboration: The following tworecommendations are proposed to facilitate DOE/DCF collaboration and toenable school districts to meet the unique educational needs of childrenserved by the Department of Children and Families.(1) Each school district should review the best practices of thosedistricts which provide guidance counselors or dependency courtliaisons (or both) whose focus is specifically and solely on studentsknown to DCF. Each school district should seek funding from allsources within the school system, and/or from non-profit organizations,to hire designated guidance counselors or court liaisons to providefocused and detailed assistance to the individual DCF students therebyassisting them to navigate the educational system in light of theirunique needs.(2) A workgroup or committee comprised of DCF and DOE staffmembers responsible for addressing the various educational issuesfaced by youth in foster should be convened on a monthly basis. Thisworkgroup or committee would be charged with developing strategiesfor overcoming the barriers hindering the educational progress faced bychildren known to DCF, and would facilitate their movement frominstitution to institution and from one level of education to the next. It isenvisioned that such a workgroup or committee would serve in anadvisory capacity to the statewide interagency implementation team andwould, on an as needed basis, work with DJJ, APD and AWI.Department Response: The Department concurs with theserecommendations. The Department encourages the Department ofEducation to support these recommendations as well.Educational Planning: The requirements, tools and resources of DOE’sePEP and career planning must be integrated into the educational plansrequired for youth in foster care. By working with the local school districts,CBC lead agencies can, and must, facilitate the integration of coordinatededucational plans for all youth in care.School districts and the Department’s contract agencies should implementpolicies to identify children in the care of the Department, and to notifyschool districts when a child is no longer in care.Department of Children and Families – Office of Family SafetyResponse to 2009 Independent Living Services Advisory Council ReportDecember 31, 20095