Senate Bill 0858

    Florida Senate - 1998        (NP)                       SR 858

    By Senator Rossin





    35-737-98

  1                    Senate Resolution No.     

  2         A resolution honoring youths 15 years of age

  3         and older who are in foster care and honoring

  4         the State Youth Advisory Board of the

  5         Department of Children and Family Services.

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  7         WHEREAS, youths who enter the foster care system have

  8  not experienced the benefit of traditional family support and

  9  values that come with a stable family background, and

10  frequently there is a stigma associated with being in foster

11  care which creates the perception that youths in foster care

12  are different from other young people or are to blame for

13  their circumstances, and

14         WHEREAS, the Independent Living Program of the

15  Department of Children and Family Services has been in

16  existence for over 11 years and has proven to be a highly

17  effective program in assisting youths who are in foster care

18  to become independent of the welfare system, and

19         WHEREAS, youths who complete the Independent Living

20  Program go on to work and live in their communities as

21  taxpaying citizens who contribute to the state's economy, and

22         WHEREAS, youths who do not complete the Independent

23  Living Program are more likely to become homeless, more likely

24  to commit crimes, and more likely to continue to depend on the

25  welfare system, and

26         WHEREAS, there are currently 2,919 youths in foster

27  care who are between the ages of 15-21 and are eligible for

28  the Independent Living Program, and

29         WHEREAS, the National Resource Center for Youth

30  Services, University of Oklahoma, has named the Florida

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998        (NP)                       SR 858
    35-737-98




  1  Department of Children and Family Services as having the most

  2  successful state youth board in the nation, and

  3         WHEREAS, the National Resource Center for Youth

  4  Services has requested that the Department of Children and

  5  Family Services provide other states with access to its

  6  expertise in working with state youth boards, NOW, THEREFORE,

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  8  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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10         That the Florida Senate hereby honors the state's

11  youths who are in foster care and, specifically, the State

12  Youth Advisory Board for their role in serving as a bridge

13  between the system and children in foster care.

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