Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

Transition Plans ForYouth In State CareThe State of Floridarequires that theDepartment ofChildren and Familiesprovide youth andyoung adults withopportunities andservices that areappropriate for theirage and specialneeds in order tobuild life skillsand increasethe ability to liveindependentlyand becomeself sufficient.Florida Statute§409.1451(3)(a).Case PlansAll planning for youth in state care begins witha dependency case plan. A case plan includes adescription of the youth’s needs and a description ofhow the State is going to provide services to addresstheir needs. The case plan has a number of requiredcomponents. Once a child turns 13 the case planshould include a transition component. That is, itshould include a “written description of the programsand services that will help the child prepare for thetransition from foster care to independent living.” Fla.Stat. §39.6012(3)(c). Case plans must be approved bythe dependency court. Florida Statute §39.603(1).Normalcy Componentof the Case PlanFor many years youth in state care were not able toparticipate in the same types of activities as theirpeers. In order to fix that problem, the state isnow required to include a“normalcy” component inthe case plan. Fla. Admin.Code 65C-30.007(10). Youthshould be encouragedand supported in takingpart in extracurricularactivities, obtaining work,attending social events,learning how to drive anddoing all the other normalthings that youth do.10Transition Plan Componentof the Case PlanPre-Independent Living (ages 13-15)The state (via the Community Based Care provider)is required to conduct a “pre-independent livingassessment” for all youth between the ages of 13and 15. It should then identify services neededto meet the needs identified in the assessment.The state must then conduct a staffing once a yearto ensure that the youth receives the servicesand training necessary to develop independentliving skills. Florida Statute §409.1451(4)(a).Life Skills Services (ages 15-17)Beginning at age 15, the State is required toconduct an independent life skills assessment.It then must hold a staffing at least every sixmonths to make sure that the youth receivesthe training and services needed to develop