Designed to give children in foster care the same opportunities as their peers, a transformative program pioneered by Central Florida-based Embrace Families has now become an example for other jurisdictions across the country.
On behalf of the Children’s Bureau and in partnership with ICF, Embrace Families (overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties) and Treehouse (an organization providing similar services in the state of Washington) have come together to create Paving the Way to offer expertise to states and territorial child welfare agencies on creating a driver’s license program for teens in foster care.
This new nationwide effort, Paving the Way with Division XTA, mirrors the Florida nonprofit’s Keys to Independence program.
In 2014, Florida lawmakers were asked to allocate state dollars to help foster parents, group homes and teens in care cover the costs of obtaining a driver’s license. At the time, fewer than 20 young people in the state’s foster care system had a license or learner’s permit. Legislators approved the request having now helped more than 3,000 teens across Florida gain greater independence.
“As we develop plans to support states and jurisdiction in implementing their efforts, the experience that Embrace Families brings to the table is essential,” said ICF’s Francesca Stern. “Enthusiasm is building to make this rite of passage – getting a driver’s license – more accessible and equitable.”
For more information about Paving the Way with Division XTA, visit www.pavingtheway.us. For more information about Keys to Independence, visit www.keystoindependencefl.com. For more information about Embrace Families or how to get involved to help, visit www.EmbraceFamilies.org.
