Senate Bill 1098c1

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    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1098

    By the Committee on Children and Families; and Senator Kurth





    300-1723-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to foster care; amending s.

  3         409.145, F.S.; authorizing the Department of

  4         Children and Family Services to continue

  5         providing foster care services to certain

  6         individuals who are enrolled full-time in a

  7         degree-granting program in a postsecondary

  8         educational institution; specifying

  9         circumstances under which such services shall

10         be terminated; providing an effective date.

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12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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14         Section 1.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (3) of

15  section 409.145, Florida Statutes, are amended, present

16  paragraph (c) of that subsection is redesignated as paragraph

17  (d), and a new paragraph (c) is added to that subsection to

18  read:

19         409.145  Care of children.--

20         (3)(a)  The department is authorized to continue to

21  provide the services of the children's foster care program to

22  individuals 18 to 21 years of age who are enrolled in high

23  school, in a program leading to a high school equivalency

24  diploma as defined in s. 229.814, or in a full-time career

25  education program, and to continue to provide services of the

26  children's foster care program to individuals 18 to 23 years

27  of age who are enrolled full-time in a postsecondary

28  educational institution granting a degree, a certificate, or

29  an applied technology diploma, if the following requirements

30  are met:

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    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1098
    300-1723-00




  1         1.  The individual was committed to the legal custody

  2  of the department for placement in foster care as a dependent

  3  child;

  4         2.  All other resources have been thoroughly explored,

  5  and it can be clearly established that there are no

  6  alternative resources for placement; and

  7         3.  A written service agreement which specifies

  8  responsibilities and expectations for all parties involved has

  9  been signed by a representative of the department, the

10  individual, and the foster parent or licensed child-caring

11  agency providing the placement resources.

12         (b)  The services of the foster care program shall

13  continue for those individuals 18 to 21 years of age only for

14  the period of time the individual is continuously enrolled in

15  high school, in a program leading to a high school equivalency

16  diploma as defined in s. 229.814, or in a full-time career

17  education program; and shall continue for those individuals 18

18  to 23 years of age only for the period of time the individual

19  is continuously enrolled full-time in a postsecondary

20  educational institution granting a degree, a certificate, or

21  an applied technology diploma. Services shall be terminated

22  upon completion of or withdrawal or permanent expulsion from

23  high school, the program leading to a high school equivalency

24  diploma, or the full-time career education program, or the

25  postsecondary educational institution granting a degree, a

26  certificate, or an applied technology diploma.

27         (c)  Individuals who are 21 years of age or older with

28  financial resources at a sufficient level to pay the tuition

29  and fees of a postsecondary educational institution may not

30  continue receiving foster care services under this section.

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






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1098
    300-1723-00




  1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  2  law.

  3

  4          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  5                         Senate Bill 1098

  6

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    -     Makes technical changes to clarify that a post-secondary
  8        institution may grant not only a degree but may also
          grant a certificate or an applied technology diploma.
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    -     Specifies that individuals who are 21 years of age or
10        older with financial resources at a sufficient level to
          pay the tuition and fees of a post-secondary institution
11        may not continue receiving foster care services.

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