#12 - Real Life Stories and Situations from Inside the Florida Foster Care System

SUMMARY Family law attorney Susan Chesnutt interviews Independent Living Specialist, Rebecca Morgan from Communities Connected for Kids on the topic of Foster Care in Florida. Both Rebecca and Susan formerly worked within the DCF system, and their careers evolved into other proactive roles to help children with challenging family lives. They talk about the treatment of foster kids and challenges for children aging out of the foster care system. —————————— HIGHLIGHTS [00:55] Rebecca Moore introduces herself and talks about foster kids after aging out of foster care. [03:54] Rebecca talks about independent living after foster care and how they assist young adults turning 18. [07:44] How the process of reunifying families is looked at from different points of view? [10:21] Rebecca describes her job in foster care and interacting with 16 and 17-year-olds. [12:25] Rebecca and Susan discuss how foster children can be mistreated. [26:23] How foster children should be managed while trying to reunite with their family. [31:34] Rebecca explains how children who are about to age out of foster care should be treated QUOTES 4:35 “I was only given $600 per month from the state in order for me to live on when I was 18 and didn’t have anybody to help me.” 8:48 “Now it’s your parents, you know them better than a judge knows them. You know if they’re going to fail, they’re going to succeed at this case plan.” 18:28 “Everyone assumed that, because I was a foster child, that all I was ever going to do was maybe graduate high school, end up pregnant and a criminal or something and that’s just ridiculous.” 27:23 “and there was about 10 or 12 people sitting there. And of course I’m the only child and they keep, they keep saying the child, the child, and I got really upset and I slammed my hand down on the table and I was like, my name is Susan.” 31:50 “The most important thing I want to say is just to make sure that they’re on track with their goals, and to make sure where they are educationally, or that they have a plan in place once they turn 18.” —————————— RESOURCES Communities Connected for Kids: http://www.cckids.net/ Communities Connected for Kids Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/connectedforkids/ Florida Department of Children and Families: https://www.myflfamilies.com/ Florida Child Placement Department: https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/icpc/#:~:text=ICPC%20ensures%20protection%20and%20services,who%20are%20placed%20in%20Florida Information about Postsecondary Education Services and Support(PEES): https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/independent-living/myfuturemychoice-fp.shtml https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/dcf-investigations-lawyer/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/child-custody/