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A rough road to independence

Imagine you've been in foster care most of your life. Among all the other disappointments you've had to deal with, you've had no parents and few adult mentors to teach you what you need to know in order to live successfully on your own - like how to manage money, where to find a job and why you must never, ever give up.

Florida's "independent living transition services" program was supposed to be the path that leads older foster children to self-sufficiency. But for too many of the state's foster teens, the program is still proving to be a dead-end.

By law, caseworkers are required to assess each foster child and begin providing life-skills training, starting at age 13. Yet, according to a February report of Florida's Auditor General, most assessments come late, if at at all. In half of the cases reviewed, no evidence existed to show that the teens received any services whatsoever to prepare them for eventual life on their own.

The picture grows even more bleak as teens age and leave foster care - as all must, ready or not - at age 18. Former foster children who attend school or college may receive a monthly "road to independence" scholarship, while those not in school qualify only for transitional help of up to $5,000. The auditor general faulted caseworkers for dispensing funds without proving eligibility. But the real scandal, advocates say, is not that too many former foster children are receiving money they do not deserve. It's that too few are getting the money they desperately need.

Just ask three former foster children from Miami-Dade, represented by the University of Miami's Children and Youth Law Clinic. Recently booted out of foster care, the trio became roommates to save money. They have been sleeping on the floor - with no beds, no furniture, and no household goods - and are bracing for their electricity to be shut off. It's been months since they requested transition funds and money for school books from the Department of Children and Families. DCF never acted on their applications.

No wonder so many former foster teens end up on the streets. Compared to other Florida teens, former foster youths are 14 times more likely to be homeless, six times more likely to go on welfare, and three times more likely to end up in the criminal justice system - as victims, if not defendants - according to a recent legislative audit. The long-term costs, in human as well as financial terms, are obvious. When will state leaders realize that providing aid is not only right but wise?

If there's any good news, it's that more teens each year have received road-to-independence scholarships. But many others are being shut out by spending caps, declining allocations and administrative neglect. Even those who qualify for scholarships will see less money in the days ahead, as DCF carries out legislative orders by implementing an overly restrictive needs-assessment formula.

While some DCF districts and community-based agencies are making real strides, it is clear that the state, as a whole, has a long way to go before it can demonstrate a true commitment to the safety and well-being of older foster youth.

[Last modified February 26, 2005, 01:14:15]