Two Tales From Florida's Foster Care - from the Orlando Sentinel's "Fixing Foster Care" Special Report

One story is tragic:                      
           Can death of a young man save future kids in Florida's foster care?

    In the last photo ever taken of him alive, Regis Little is a handsome teen, his head cocked back confidently, a bemused smile across his lips. A faint patch of young beard curls from his chin.

 

Frozen in that moment, he looks invincible.
In reality, the 18-year-old product of Florida's foster-care system was tragically vulnerable.

One night last July, several months after he had aged out of the system, he was found stabbed in a parking lot off International Drive, a crowd of spectators gathered around his body. By the time paramedics arrived, Regis Little was dead.
Continue with story:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-foster-care-freefall-regis-20100413,0,7939142.story


The other is inspiring.       
Former foster child travels Road to Independence                             

When Kamesha Grant turned 18 in November, she packed a suitcase, left her home in St. Cloud, climbed aboard a bus alone and headed for a new life. As a foster child, it was time to move on.

That's the way the system typically works in Florida. But it's not just a shove out the door. In Grant's case, there was something better ahead.
Taking advantage of the state's Road to Independence program available to teens transitioning out of foster care, Grant already had lined up a place to rent, a $1,000 monthly stipend, training in financial matters and life skills, and a detailed plan for her future.

When local child-welfare advocates want an example of how things can go right, Grant often becomes Exhibit A. She is bright, personable and exceedingly polite, and she did something almost unheard of in Department of Children and Families history: She actually asked to go back into foster care.
"Kamesha gets a lot of the credit for being where she is," said Bethanie Barber, her guardian ad litem, the court-appointed attorney charged with advocating for Grant's best interests. "She is very, very savvy, she has incredible internal motivation and she was absolutely receptive to everything we put in front of her."
Continue story - http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-foster-care-freefall-kamesha-20100419,0,2535312.story

Other Ways to help Foster Children

From the Legacy Project in Seminole County:
If you aren't sure about the time commitment, or want to do something else to help foster kids that isn't one on one, there are plenty of options available.

• Teach a SAW session. Incorporate whatever interests you into a class discussion. There are about 20 teens that come to learn skills about living independently weekly.

• Donate items from your home. These kids are moving out on their own without any help from their parents, and a very small budget.

• Teach a driving class. Or donate a driving course from a local business.

• Donate a Service from your office.

• Offer employment to one of our youth.

• Give gift cards to provide to kids for special events or recognition.

• Volunteer to tutor.

• The options are limitless. Just call and we can help find something for you!

407-333-8256 or 407-921-2216

Mentor a Child, Change A Life

The Legacy Project is a mentoring program in Seminole Co. for children in the foster care system and the Independent Living Program. While the project serves children of all ages, the mentoring program is particularly critical for older foster children because they must be able to succeed at the young age of 18 without the help of a family. Statistics show that more than 50% of foster children leave foster care without a high school diploma or a job, 60% will be homeless at some point throughout their lives, and most will live in poverty, and their children are likely to experience abuse if these innocent children are not helped now.

Why Mentor?

Children that are mentored are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to be arrested, less likely to abuse drugs and more likely to succeed in life. Research shows that if foster children are linked with a caring adult at an early age, many of the challenges the teenage foster children face today would be avoided. That is why it is so important to make sure that every child has a mentor. The gift of your time and love will change the lives of our kids for generations! Further, in the Independent Living Program there are currently two case managers responsible for the futures of nearly 100 teenage foster kids. They can't do it alone, they need your help!

What is the Commitment?

It is asked that you have some type of contact with your child 1 hour a week or 4 hours per month (for at least one year). However, the more time you spend with your child the more meaningful the friendship and relationship become.

The Process

- Complete an IL Mentor Interest Survey (below) and email it to Amanda Annis (amanda.annis@cbcseminole.org) or Keri Flynn (Keri.Flynn@cbcseminole.org ).

- They will then contact you. You will need to complete a packet of information that includes background checks, fingerprints, and DMV screening. You will then go through a short (30 minutes) overview training of what you should know and expect prior to your commitment.

- On June 10, 2009 there will be a Mentor Match Event (something fun like bowling or something similar) to help you connect with a child seeking a mentor. (All children involved have requested a mentor.)

For more information, contact Ms. Flynn at (407) 333 - 8256 or (407) 921-2216 or

Ms. Annis at (407) 688 - 9650 or (407) 694-2892.

Children that "Age Out" of the Foster Care System are at Risk

The Orlando Sentinel's Darryl E. Owens writes about what happens to kids that are kicked out of the foster care system.
Foster-care grads still need help - http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-owens-foster-car-grads-050209,0,6680292.column