ENROLLED
       2023 Legislature                   CS for SB 1190, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                             20231190er
    1  
    2         An act relating to the Step into Success Workforce
    3         Education and Internship Pilot Program; creating s.
    4         409.1455, F.S.; providing a short title; requiring the
    5         Department of Children and Families to establish the
    6         pilot program; specifying the purposes and components
    7         of the pilot program; requiring the department’s
    8         Office of Continuing Care, in consultation with
    9         certain entities, to develop and administer the pilot
   10         program; authorizing the department to contract with
   11         certain entities to collaborate with the office on
   12         development and administration of the pilot program;
   13         requiring the independent living professionalism and
   14         workforce education component of the pilot program to
   15         culminate in a specified certificate; providing that
   16         completion of that component allows former foster
   17         youth to participate in the onsite workforce and
   18         training internship component; defining terms;
   19         providing requirements for the administration of the
   20         pilot program; requiring the office to initiate the
   21         respective components of the pilot program by
   22         specified dates; specifying the duties of the office
   23         related to the two components; requiring the
   24         components to address specified topics; providing
   25         requirements for organizations participating in the
   26         onsite workforce training internship component;
   27         specifying time limitations for former foster youth
   28         participating in the onsite workforce training
   29         internship component; requiring the Board of Governors
   30         and the State Board of Education to adopt certain
   31         regulations and rules, respectively; specifying
   32         conditions for participation in the onsite workforce
   33         internship component; requiring the department to
   34         include a section on the pilot program in a specified
   35         annual report which must include specified
   36         information; requiring the department to adopt rules;
   37         amending s. 414.56, F.S.; conforming a provision to
   38         changes made by the act; providing an appropriation;
   39         providing an effective date.
   40          
   41  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   42  
   43         Section 1. Section 409.1455, Florida Statutes, is created
   44  to read:
   45         409.1455Step into Success Workforce Education and
   46  Internship Pilot Program for foster youth and former foster
   47  youth.—
   48         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Step
   49  into Success Act.”
   50         (2) CREATION.—The department shall establish the 3-year
   51  Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot
   52  Program to give eligible foster youth and former foster youth an
   53  opportunity to learn and develop essential workforce and
   54  professional skills, to transition from the custody of the
   55  department to independent living, and to become better prepared
   56  for an independent and successful future. The pilot program must
   57  consist of an independent living professionalism and workforce
   58  education component and, for youth who complete that component,
   59  an onsite workforce training internship component. In
   60  consultation with subject-matter experts and the community-based
   61  care lead agencies, the office shall develop and administer the
   62  pilot program for interested foster youth and former foster
   63  youth; however, the department may contract with entities that
   64  have demonstrable subject-matter expertise in the transition to
   65  adulthood for foster youth, workforce training and preparedness,
   66  professional skills, and related subjects to collaborate with
   67  the office in the development and administration of the pilot
   68  program. The independent living professionalism and workforce
   69  education component of the program must culminate in a
   70  certificate that allows a former foster youth to participate in
   71  the onsite workforce training internship.
   72         (3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the term:
   73         (a) “Community-based care lead agency” has the same meaning
   74  as in s. 409.986(3).
   75         (b)“Former foster youth” means an individual 18 years of
   76  age or older but younger than 26 years of age who is currently
   77  or was previously placed in licensed care, excluding Level I
   78  licensed placements pursuant to s. 409.175(5)(a)1., for at least
   79  60 days within this state.
   80         (c) “Foster youth” means an individual older than 16 years
   81  of age but younger than 18 years of age who is currently in
   82  licensed care, excluding Level I licensed placements pursuant to
   83  s. 409.175(5)(a)1.
   84         (d)“Office” means the department’s Office of Continuing
   85  Care.
   86         (e)“Participating organization” means a state agency, a
   87  corporation under chapter 607 or chapter 617, or another
   88  relevant entity that has agreed to collaborate with the office
   89  in the development and implementation of a trauma-informed
   90  onsite workforce training internship program pursuant to
   91  subsections (6) and (7).
   92         (4)REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OFFICE.—The
   93  department shall establish and the office shall develop and
   94  administer the pilot program for eligible foster youth and
   95  former foster youth. The pilot program must be administered as
   96  part of an eligible foster youth’s regular transition planning
   97  under s. 39.6035 or as a post-transition service for eligible
   98  former foster youth. The office must begin the professionalism
   99  and workforce education component of the program on or before
  100  January 1, 2024, and the onsite workforce training internship
  101  component of the program on or before July 1, 2024.
  102         (5)INDEPENDENT LIVING PROFESSIONALISM AND WORKFORCE
  103  EDUCATION COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS.—The office shall do all of the
  104  following in connection with the independent living
  105  professionalism and workforce education component for eligible
  106  foster youth and former foster youth:
  107         (a)Designate and ensure that the number of qualified staff
  108  is sufficient to implement and administer the component, which
  109  may be part of a larger independent living or life skills
  110  training program if the larger program meets the requirements of
  111  this subsection.
  112         (b) Develop all workshops, presentations, and curricula for
  113  the component, including, but not limited to, all written
  114  educational and training materials for foster youth and former
  115  foster youth. Resources may include, but are not limited to,
  116  workshops and materials to assist with preparing resumes, mock
  117  interviews, experiential training, and assistance with securing
  118  an internship or employment. The office must review and update
  119  these materials as necessary. The training materials must
  120  address, but are not limited to, the following:
  121         1.Interview skills;
  122         2. Professionalism;
  123         3. Teamwork;
  124         4.Leadership;
  125         5.Problem solving; and
  126         6.Conflict resolution in the workplace.
  127         (c) Require that the training provided be in addition to
  128  any other life skills or employment training required by law.
  129  The training may be developed or administered by the department,
  130  community-based care lead agencies, or the lead agencies’
  131  subcontracted providers, or in collaboration with colleges or
  132  universities or other nonprofit organizations in the community
  133  with workforce education and training resources.
  134         (d)Provide relevant written materials from the component
  135  and any relevant tools developed to ensure participants’
  136  successful transition to internships to all participating
  137  organizations that offer workforce training internship
  138  opportunities.
  139         (e)Provide materials to inform eligible foster youth and
  140  former foster youth of the program, the requirements for
  141  participation, and contact information for enrollment. The
  142  community-based care lead agencies shall ensure that any
  143  subcontracted providers that directly serve youth receive this
  144  information.
  145         (f) Advertise and promote the availability of the education
  146  and internship program to engage as many eligible foster youth
  147  and former foster youth as possible.
  148         (g)Assess the career interests of each eligible foster
  149  youth and former foster youth who expresses interest in
  150  participating in the program and determine the most appropriate
  151  internship and post-internship opportunities for that youth
  152  based on his or her expressed interests.
  153         (6)ONSITE WORKFORCE TRAINING INTERNSHIP COMPONENT
  154  REQUIREMENTS.—The office shall do all of the following in
  155  connection with the onsite workforce training internship program
  156  for eligible former foster youth:
  157         (a) Develop processes and procedures to implement a trauma
  158  informed onsite workforce training internship component. The
  159  processes and procedures of the internship component must be
  160  designed so that they can be replicated and scaled to meet
  161  various organizational structures and sizes. The component must
  162  include:
  163         1.Recruitment of agencies, corporations, and other
  164  entities to host interns as participating organizations;
  165         2.Assisting participating organizations with mentor
  166  recruitment, training, and matching;
  167         3.Mentor-led performance reviews, including a review of
  168  the intern’s work product, professionalism, time management,
  169  communication style, and stress-management strategies;
  170         4.Daily mentorship and coaching on topics such as:
  171         a. Professionalism;
  172         b. Teamwork;
  173         c.Leadership;
  174         d.Problem solving; and
  175         e.Conflict resolution in the workplace;
  176         5.Development of opportunities for interns to become
  177  employees of the participating organization; and
  178         6.Reporting requirements specified in subsection (11).
  179         (b)Develop a minimum of 1 hour of required trauma-informed
  180  training for mentors to teach the skills necessary to engage
  181  with participating eligible former foster youth.
  182         (c)Provide assistance to eligible foster youth and former
  183  foster youth interested in participating in the internship
  184  component, including, but not limited to, identifying and
  185  monitoring internship opportunities, being knowledgeable of the
  186  training and skills needed to match eligible foster youth and
  187  former foster youth with appropriate internships, and assisting
  188  eligible foster youth and former foster youth with applying for
  189  post-internship employment opportunities.
  190         (d)Publicize specific internship positions in an easily
  191  accessible manner and inform eligible foster youth and former
  192  foster youth of where to locate such information.
  193         (e)Provide a participating former foster youth with
  194  financial assistance in the amount of $1,517 monthly and develop
  195  a process and schedule for the distribution of payments to
  196  former foster youth participating in the component, subject to
  197  the availability of funds.
  198         (f) Distribute funds appropriated for the compensation of
  199  mentors who are participating in the component as provided in
  200  paragraph (7)(b).
  201         (g) By May 1, 2024, provide to the Board of Governors and
  202  the State Board of Education all relevant internship information
  203  necessary to support the award of postsecondary credit or career
  204  education clock hours for internship positions held by former
  205  foster youth participating in the onsite workforce training
  206  internship component.
  207         (h) Develop and conduct follow-up surveys with:
  208         1. Former foster youth within 3 months after their
  209  internship start date to ensure successful transition into the
  210  work environment and to gather feedback on how to improve the
  211  experience for future participants.
  212         2. Mentors assigned to participating former foster youth.
  213  Such data must be collected by October 1, 2024, and by October 1
  214  annually thereafter, for inclusion in the independent living
  215  services annual report.
  216         3.Any other persons the office deems relevant for purposes
  217  of continued improvement of the internship component.
  218         (7) REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS.—Each
  219  organization participating in the onsite workforce training
  220  internship component shall:
  221         (a) Collaborate with the office to implement a trauma
  222  informed approach to mentoring and training former foster youth.
  223         (b) Recruit employees to serve as mentors for former foster
  224  youth interning with such organizations.
  225         1.To serve as a mentor, an employee must:
  226         a.Have worked for the participating organization for at
  227  least 1 year;
  228         b.Have experience relevant to the job and task
  229  responsibilities of the intern;
  230         c.Sign a monthly hour statement for the intern;
  231         d.Allocate at least 1 hour per month to conduct mentor-led
  232  performance reviews, to include a review of the intern’s work
  233  product, professionalism, time management, communication style,
  234  and stress-management strategies; and
  235         e.Complete a minimum of 1 hour of trauma-informed training
  236  to gain skills critical for successfully engaging former foster
  237  youth.
  238         2.Subject to available funding, an employee who serves as
  239  a mentor and receives the required trauma-informed training is
  240  eligible for a maximum payment of $1,200 per intern per fiscal
  241  year, to be issued as a $100 monthly payment for every month of
  242  service as a mentor.
  243         3.An employee may serve as a mentor for a maximum of three
  244  interns at one time and may not receive more than $3,600 in
  245  compensation per fiscal year for serving as a mentor. Any time
  246  spent serving as a mentor to an intern under this section counts
  247  toward the minimum service required for eligibility for payments
  248  pursuant to subparagraph 2. and this subparagraph.
  249         (c)When necessary, have a discussion with an intern’s
  250  assigned mentor, the participating organization’s internship
  251  program liaison, and the office about the creation of a
  252  corrective action plan to address issues related to the intern’s
  253  professionalism, work product, or performance and, if
  254  applicable, after giving the intern a reasonable opportunity to
  255  comply with the corrective action plan, document the intern’s
  256  failure to do so before discharging him or her.
  257         (d) Provide relevant feedback to the office at least
  258  annually for the office to comply with paragraph (6)(h).
  259         (e) Collaborate with the department to provide any
  260  requested information necessary to prepare the annual report
  261  required under subsection (11).
  262         (8) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION.—A former foster
  263  youth who obtains an internship with a participating
  264  organization may participate in the internship component for no
  265  more than 1 year, calculated as 12 monthly stipend periods. The
  266  year begins on his or her start date with a participating
  267  organization. A former foster youth may intern under the
  268  internship program with more than one participating
  269  organization, but may not intern with more than one
  270  participating organization at the same time. A participating
  271  organization may hire the intern as an employee, but the hiring
  272  of a former foster youth may not be for an internship under this
  273  section.
  274         (9) AWARD OF POSTSECONDARY CREDIT.—The Board of Governors
  275  and the State Board of Education shall adopt regulations and
  276  rules, respectively, to award postsecondary credit or career
  277  education clock hours for eligible former foster youth
  278  participating in the internship component pursuant to subsection
  279  (4). The regulations and rules must include procedures for the
  280  award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours,
  281  including, but not limited to, equivalency and alignment of the
  282  internship component with appropriate postsecondary courses and
  283  course descriptions.
  284         (10) CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNSHIP
  285  COMPONENT.—
  286         (a) To become a participant in the internship component of
  287  the program, the applicant must be a foster youth or a former
  288  foster youth as those terms are defined in subsection (3) at the
  289  time such youth applies for an internship position with a
  290  participating organization. A foster youth or former foster
  291  youth who has completed the training component with the
  292  department may apply for a position with a participating
  293  organization but may not begin an internship until attaining the
  294  age of 18 years.
  295         (b) If offered an internship, a former foster youth must be
  296  classified as an intern and must work 80 hours per month to be
  297  eligible for the stipend payment.
  298         (c) A former foster youth must spend any stipend funds
  299  specified for clothing on clothing that is in compliance with
  300  the dress code requirements of the participating organization
  301  with which the former foster youth is interning. Notwithstanding
  302  any limitation on funds provided to purchase clothing, the
  303  former foster youth must comply with any dress code requirements
  304  of the participating organization with which he or she is
  305  interning.
  306         (d) Stipend money earned pursuant to the internship
  307  component may not be considered earned income for purposes of
  308  computing eligibility for federal or state benefits, including,
  309  but not limited to, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
  310  Program, a housing choice assistance voucher program, the
  311  Temporary Cash Assistance Program, the Medicaid program, or the
  312  school readiness program. Notwithstanding this paragraph, any
  313  reduction in the amount of benefits or loss of benefits due to
  314  receipt of the Step into Success stipend may be offset by an
  315  additional stipend payment equal to the value of the maximum
  316  benefit amount for a single person allowed under the
  317  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
  318         (e)A former foster youth may, at the discretion of a
  319  postsecondary educational institution within this state in which
  320  such youth is enrolled, earn postsecondary credit or career
  321  education clock hours for work performed as an intern under the
  322  internship component. Postsecondary credit and career education
  323  clock hours earned for work performed under the internship
  324  component may be in addition to any compensation earned for the
  325  same work performed under the internship component and may be
  326  awarded for completion of all or any part of the internship
  327  component. Participating organizations shall cooperate with
  328  postsecondary educational institutions to provide any
  329  information about internship positions which is necessary to
  330  enable the institutions to determine whether to grant the
  331  participating former foster youth postsecondary credit or career
  332  education clock hours toward his or her degree.
  333         (f)A former foster youth who accepts an internship with a
  334  participating organization pursuant to this section may only be
  335  discharged from the internship component after the participating
  336  organization engages the intern’s assigned mentor and the
  337  participating organization’s internship program staff to assist
  338  the intern in performing the duties of the internship. Before
  339  discharging the former foster youth, the participating
  340  organization must also document the intern’s failure to comply
  341  with a corrective action plan after being given a reasonable
  342  opportunity to do so.
  343         (11) REPORT.—The department shall include a section on the
  344  Step into Success Workforce Education and Internship Pilot
  345  Program in the independent living annual report prepared
  346  pursuant to s. 409.1451(6) which includes, but is not limited
  347  to, all of the following:
  348         (a) Whether the pilot program is in compliance with this
  349  section, and if not, barriers to compliance.
  350         (b)A list of participating organizations and the number of
  351  interns.
  352         (c)A summary of recruitment efforts to increase the number
  353  of participating organizations.
  354         (d) A summary of the feedback and surveys received pursuant
  355  to paragraph (6)(h) from participating former foster youth,
  356  mentors, and others who have participated in the pilot program.
  357         (e) Recommendations, if any, for actions necessary to
  358  improve the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of the pilot
  359  program.
  360         (f) Employment outcomes of former foster youth who
  361  participated in the pilot program, including employment status
  362  after completion of the program, whether he or she is employed
  363  by the participating organization in which he or she interned or
  364  by another entity, and job description and salary information,
  365  if available.
  366         (12) RULEMAKING.—The department shall adopt rules to
  367  implement this section.
  368         Section 2. Subsection (5) is added to section 414.56,
  369  Florida Statutes, to read:
  370         414.56 Office of Continuing Care.—The department shall
  371  establish an Office of Continuing Care to ensure young adults
  372  who age out of the foster care system between 18 and 21 years of
  373  age, or 22 years of age with a documented disability, have a
  374  point of contact until the young adult reaches the age of 26 in
  375  order to receive ongoing support and care coordination needed to
  376  achieve self-sufficiency. Duties of the office include, but are
  377  not limited to:
  378         (5) Developing and administering the Step into Success
  379  Workforce Education and Internship Pilot Program for foster
  380  youth and former foster youth as required under s. 409.1455.
  381         Section 3. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of
  382  $500,000 in recurring funds is appropriated from the General
  383  Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Families for the
  384  purpose of implementing this act.
  385         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.