Florida Administrative Code › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES › 65C - Family Safety and Preservation Program › Chapter 65C-28 - OUT-OF-HOME CARE › Section 65C-28.009 - Transition to Adulthood

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) Beginning at
				age 13, children and young adults in out-of-home care require additional
				support and coordination necessary to develop the skills to successfully
				transition to adulthood. The additional supports and coordination are typically
				provided through independent living services programs; however, most life
				skills will be developed through normal day to day activities in the children
				and young adults natural living environments.
(a) Independent living services may also be
				referenced as transitional services. These types of services encompass a range
				of assistance categories, all geared toward preparing children and young adults
				for independence. The categories of programs and services to prepare for the
				transition to a successful adulthood include independent living needs
				assessment, academic support, post-secondary educational support, career
				preparation, employment programs or vocational training, budget and financial
				management, housing education and home management training, health education
				and risk prevention, family support and healthy marriage education, mentoring
				and, when young adults are eligible supervised independent living, room and
				board financial assistance, education financial assistance, and other financial
				assistance.
(b) Children and young
				adults with physical, intellectual, emotional, or psychiatric conditions shall
				be provided with an equal opportunity to develop life skills and, if eligible,
				participate in the continuum of independent living services.
(c) Community-based care lead agencies (CBCs)
				must ensure children and young adults are assessed and provided with age or
				developmentally appropriate training opportunities to develop independent
				living skills. The CBCs shall provide a list of age-appropriate activities and
				responsibilities to the child and caregiver to assist with specific life
				skills. For older youth, the CBCs must make the youth aware of available
				independent living services, community resources, and how to apply for the
				services.
(d) Both independent
				living informal and formal needs assessments of life skill competency must be
				completed to determine the child's or young adult's strengths and needs.
1. Informal assessments shall be conducted
				monthly during routine home visits to evaluate progress of the skills developed
				based on the child's or young adult's participation in age-appropriate life
				activities as defined in Sections
				 39.4091 and
				 409.145, F.S. Informal
				assessments shall be documented on the "Life Skills Progress Documentation Log,
				" CF-FSP 5444, Apr 2019, incorporated by reference and available at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-10803
,
				and shall be shared with caregivers for independent living skills
				development.
2. Formal assessments
				are designed to take inventory of the child or young adult's strengths and
				needs regarding independent living skills competency. The child welfare
				professional may utilize the child's or young adult's case records or other
				life skill assessment tools to conduct the assessment.
a. At minimum, formal independent living
				needs assessments shall be administered annually beginning at age 16 years of
				age.
b. The outcome of the
				assessment shall be the basis of an individualized life skills plan that
				details the activities needed for a child's and young adult's preparation to
				adulthood.
3. In addition
				to self-disclosure from the child or young adult on the development of skills,
				a statement regarding the progress shall also be received from the caregiver
				and provided in a social study report for judicial review. If a young adult is
				not living with a caregiver, a statement on the progress from the child welfare
				professional must be included in the social study report for judicial
				review.
4. Life skill deficiencies
				identified through informal and formal assessments shall be included in a case
				plan and when applicable in the transition plan.
5. Formal and informal assessments shall be
				uploaded into the child welfare information
				system.