Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

F61006a. DCF shall incorporate an education component into all trainingprograms for relevant staff of their agency and contractors regardingthe youth. DCF shall utilize, and refer relevant staff and contractors to,trainings on educational issues that are currently provided by DOE.DCF shall offer opportunities for education, APD, DJJ, and workforcepersonnel to participate in such training, which shall include:1) Training for parents and families in cases in whichreunification is the goal, or for pre-adoptive parents whenadoption is the goal, so that such parents and care givers learnhow to access the services needed to produce positiveeducational outcomes for the youth and the importance of theirinvolvement in the education and life of the youth;2) Training for dependency caseworkers, foster parents(substitute care givers or providers) and waiver supportcoordinators to include information on the rights of the youth toan education, the role of an education in the development andadjustment of a youth, the proper and varied ways to accesseducation and related services for the youth, and theimportance and strategies for parental involvement in educationfor the success of the youth;3) Training of dependency caseworkers regarding the servicesand information available through DOE and local schooldistricts, and other education related organizations such as theFlorida Diagnostic and Learning Resource Services (FDLRS)including, but not limited to, the current Sunshine StateStandards, the Surrogate Parent Training program and Manual,and other resources accessible through the DOE or local schooldistricts to facilitate educational access for a youth or his or herparents or family.b. DOE shall promote the practice of allowing Guardians Ad Litem andfoster parents to attend surrogate parent training offered by schooldistrict Exceptional Student Education (ESE) staff or other personsdesignated by the school district. This includes the promotion of theuse of the FDLRS in the recruitment and training of surrogate parents.(Section 300.519 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations)c. DOE shall offer resources for Independent Living transition andtransition planning, and will work with DCF to develop suggestedguidelines for transition plans to meet the special needs of students.7-13-09 6