Extended Foster Care
We believe that a young person’s future should not be indelibly tarnished by the circumstances that brought them into the child welfare system. Thus, our goal is to help ensure that the youth in our care have the skills and support necessary to transition smoothly into adulthood.
In most families, a young adult does not move out permanently on his or her 18th birthday; they transition into adulthood based on their individual needs. Â Some of them may move out after high school graduation. Â Others may stay at home a while after graduation while working or pursuing necessary skills to build a career. Â With that in mind, Embrace Families has built a system designed to support our young adults as any healthy family would. As long as these young people are making progress toward an agreed upon plan — whether that is to continue their education, obtain a job, or participate in a program designed to give them job skills — they are welcome to stay in foster care beyond their 18th birthday.
To remain in foster care after 18, a young adult:
- Must have lived in licensed foster care on his or her 18th birthday.
- And, be actively engaged in one or more of the following activities:
- Attending high school or working on GED; or
- Enrolled in college or vocational education program; or
- Employed at least 80 hours per month; or
- Participating in a program designed to promote or eliminate barriers to employment; or
- Have a diagnosed and documented disability that would prevent the young adult from pursuing further education or employment.
- And, agreed to the following things:
- Lead personal transition planning meetings, which are designed to help map out his or her goals for the future along with steps to accomplishing those goals; and
- Live in a supervised living arrangement; and
- Meet with a caseworker every month; and
- Continue to participate in at least one of the activities listed above.
Sometimes our young adults will leave this system of support upon turning 18. Any young adult who qualified for extended foster care when they were 18, can return until they are 21. Or, in the case of a young adult with a disability, eligibility ends when the youth reaches 22.
If you would like to know if you are eligible for extended foster care, please contact Embrace Families by selecting one of the following:
- Call 321-441-2060
- Complete and return the Application for Extended Foster Care to: youthservices@embracefamilies.org
- To explore additional resources available through Florida DCF’s Office of Continuing Care, call 850-300-HOPE (4673) or  click here.
Please email youthservices@embracefamilies.org if you have any questions.
