New Florida law aims to help foster youth, but advocates say it's not enough
A new is designed to support teens aging out of the foster care system, but advocates in South Florida say the changes fall short, especially amid an ongoing affordable housing crisis.
Senate Bill 584 requires Florida universities to prioritize housing placements for eligible foster youth and expands access to federal programs and vouchers to help with the transition to independent living.
Still, nonprofit leaders say many teens leaving the foster care system face overwhelming odds.
"The deck is just stacked against them on every possible level," said Tiffani Dhooge, president and CEO of Children's Harbor in Pembroke Pines. The nonprofit provides transitional housing for former foster youth.
Facing homelessness after aging out
Raushani Rowe entered foster care as a freshman in high school. When she turned 18, she aged out of the system and out of guaranteed housing.
"It's a lot of anxiety, you're scared, you're confused," Rowe said. "I was with one family, then I had gotten out, then I went right back in; that was around December before I had to age out."
In Florida last year, there were just over 20,000 children in foster care, according to the Florida Department of Health. Though that number represents a slight decrease from previous years, advocates say those who age out remain at high risk for homelessness, trafficking, or incarceration.
"Any child who's been removed from their birth family in the state of Florida has been removed because of egregious—especially if they're a teenager—physical abuse, sexual abuse," said Dhooge.
"A lot of our teenagers [have been removed] because of trafficking. I've got kids right now on my main campus who were trafficked by their own parents."
Dhooge said state assistance is available to foster youth over 18 who are working or in school, but it's not enough in South Florida's housing market.
"You look at an 18-year-old child who ages out of foster care, who has no family, who has no support system," she said. "Where are they going to find rent in Broward County for minimum wage?"
Community support urged
Kirk Englehardt, vice president of the , said local involvement is crucial.
"Like anything, government dollars usually aren't enough in and of themselves," he said. "It takes people in our own community supporting their neighbors."
Rowe hopes more people will pay attention to what foster youth are going through.
"It takes you to listen and actually see about stuff like this because not everybody goes through this," she said.
