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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to foster youth internship program; 2
creating s. 409.1455, F.S.; providing a short title; 3
establishing the Step Into Success internship program 4
within the Department of Children and Families for 5
eligible foster youth; requiring the program t o 6
include qualified designated personnel who are 7
responsible for specified services; requiring that 8
eligible foster youth receive priority consideration 9
for certain internship positions; defining terms; 10
requiring the department to establish an internship 11
program by a specified date; requiring the department 12
to designate and ensure sufficient qualified staff to 13
implement and maintain the program; requiring the 14
department to prepare written educational and training 15
materials by a specified date and update the materials 16
at least annually; requiring the department to provide 17
training and written materials to designated 18
personnel; requiring the department to provide certain 19
written materials to foster youth; requiring lead 20
agencies to ensure such materials are pr ovided to 21
subcontracted providers; requiring the department to 22
advertise and promote the program; requiring the 23
department to provide specified training to foster 24
youth; requiring such training to be provided in 25
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addition to other specified training; author izing the 26
development of such training by or in collaboration 27
with specified entities; providing construction; 28
requiring the department to develop and provide 29
trauma-informed training to mentors; requiring the 30
department to provide assistance with the prog ram's 31
administrative and procedural requirements to 32
interested foster youth; requiring the department to 33
publicize internship opportunities and inform foster 34
youth of where to locate the information; requiring 35
the department to assess the career interests of 36
foster youth; requiring the department to ensure 37
internships comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act; 38
requiring the department to collaborate with specified 39
entities to establish a system by a specified date for 40
secondary institutions to award college credits; 41
requiring the department to conduct follow -up 42
interviews with participating foster youth within a 43
specified timeframe and for a specified purpose; 44
requiring the department to submit data from such 45
interviews by a specified date annually for inclus ion 46
in a specified report; requiring the department to 47
gather and compile feedback from mentors assigned to 48
participating foster youth or personnel from 49
participating agencies for a specified purpose; 50
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requiring the department to submit compiled mentor 51
feedback by a specified date annually for inclusion in 52
a specified report; requiring the department to 53
collaborate with the Florida Institute for Child 54
Welfare in preparation of an annual report; requiring 55
approved agencies to provide and monthly update a list 56
of open employment opportunities for which eligible 57
foster youth may apply; requiring approved agencies to 58
offer foster youth priority consideration under 59
certain circumstances; requiring approved agencies to 60
recruit mentors to work with participating fos ter 61
youth employed through the program; providing 62
requirements for such mentors; specifying payment 63
procedures and requirements for mentors; requiring 64
approved agencies to implement certain procedures 65
before discharging foster youth; requiring approved 66
agencies to provide feedback and collaborate in 67
preparation of a specified report; limiting the 68
timeframe for foster youth participation in the 69
internship program; authorizing the continued 70
employment of foster youth under certain conditions; 71
specifying conditions of employment for foster youth 72
as interns; requiring a foster youth to meet 73
eligibility requirements at the time of applying for 74
an internship position; requiring foster youth to 75
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complete specified training within certain timeframes; 76
authorizing the department or designated lead agencies 77
or subcontracted providers to determine if an 78
interested foster youth needs to complete training 79
before applying; requiring that foster youth be 80
classified as other-personal-services employees; 81
specifying prerequisite conditions for discharging a 82
foster youth intern; limiting the number of hours per 83
week a foster youth may work; requiring foster youth 84
to spend certain stipend funds for specific purposes 85
and comply with certain dress code requirements; 86
applying employment protections to foster youth 87
employed through the internship program; excluding 88
compensation earned under the internship program from 89
the definition of earned income for calculating 90
economic self-sufficiency benefits; specifying 91
requirements and conditio ns for foster youth to earn 92
college credit for work performed in the internship 93
program; granting postsecondary educational 94
institutions with discretion to determine 95
administrative compliance requirements; requiring 96
approved agencies to cooperate with post secondary 97
educational institutions to provide specified 98
information; requiring the Florida Institute for Child 99
Welfare to submit an annual report to the Governor and 100
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the Legislature within a certain timeframe; providing 101
requirements for the report; requiri ng the department 102
and approved agencies to adopt rules; amending s. 103
414.56, F.S.; revising the duties of the Office of 104
Continuing Care within the department to include 105
establishing and operating an internship program; 106
providing appropriations; providing an effective date. 107
108
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 109
110
Section 1. Section 409.1455, Florida Statutes, is created 111
to read: 112
409.1455 Internship program for foster youth. — 113
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "St ep 114
Into Success Act." 115
(2) CREATION.—There is established the Step Into Success 116
internship program to be administered by the department for 117
eligible foster youth to develop essential workforce and 118
professional skills in furtherance of their careers, to 119
transition from the custody of the department to independent 120
living, and to become best prepared for an independent and 121
successful future. The establishment of this program must 122
include qualified designated personnel whose responsibilities 123
are to provide the required services to approved agency liaison 124
personnel and eligible foster youth in accordance with this 125
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section. An eligible foster youth must receive priority 126
consideration for any internship positions as provided under 127
this section. 128
(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the term: 129
(a) "Approved agency" means one of the following agencies 130
that may participate in the internship program by employing 131
eligible foster youth: 132
1. The Department of Children and Families; 133
2. The Department of Heal th; 134
3. The Agency for Health Care Administration; 135
4. The Department of Education; 136
5. The Department of Environmental Protection; 137
6. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and 138
7. The Division of the State Fire Marshal within the 139
Department of Financial Services. 140
(b) "Community-based care lead agency" has the same 141
meaning as in s. 409.986(3)(d). 142
(c) "Florida Institute for Child Welfare" means the 143
institute established within the Florida State University 144
College of Social Work under s. 10 04.615. 145
(d) "Foster youth" means an individual older than 16 years 146
of age but younger than 26 years of age who is currently or was 147
previously placed in foster care within this state. 148
(e) "Priority consideration" means the approved agency 149
must invite a foster youth who is eligible to participate in the 150
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internship program to be interviewed for any position for which 151
he or she meets the minimum qualifications. 152
(4) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT. —The department 153
shall establish an internship progra m for foster youth which 154
begins operations on or before January 1, 2023, and complies 155
with all of the following requirements: 156
(a) Designate and ensure that there is sufficient 157
qualified staff to implement and maintain operation of the 158
internship program. 159
(b) By November 1, 2022, prepare written educational and 160
training materials for foster youth, including a toolkit to 161
explain the internship program process, resources to assist in 162
participating in the internship and entering the professional 163
workforce, and guidance on securing an internship position and 164
update the material thereafter at least once annually. Resources 165
may include, but are not limited to, workshops and materials to 166
assist with preparing resumes and staff assistance with securing 167
internship positions. 168
(c) Provide all relevant training and written materials on 169
the internship program to designated personnel within the 170
approved agencies and any other relevant tools to such agencies 171
to ensure successful participation in the program. 172
(d) Provide written materials to foster youth to ensure 173
that all such youth are informed of the requirements for 174
participating in the program and the contact information for the 175
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program office. All community -based care lead agencies shall 176
ensure that any subcontra cted providers that directly serve 177
youth are also provided with the training and written materials. 178
(e) Advertise and promote the availability of the 179
internship program to engage as many eligible foster youths as 180
possible. 181
(f) Provide to eligible foste r youth a minimum of 2 hours 182
of training relating to interview skills and a minimum of 4 183
hours of training relating to professional and leadership 184
development skills that are relevant to performing the functions 185
required of the positions offered by partici pating approved 186
agencies. The training required in this paragraph must be 187
provided in addition to any other life skills or employment 188
training required by law and may be developed or administered by 189
the department, community -based care lead agencies, or th e lead 190
agencies' subcontracted providers or through collaboration with 191
the approved agencies, colleges or universities, or non -profit 192
organizations in the community that have workforce training 193
resources. This paragraph may not be construed to limit the 194
number of hours of training offered in which a foster youth may 195
participate. 196
(g) Develop and provide a minimum of 1 hour of trauma -197
informed training to mentors who serve under this section to 198
ensure that they have the skills necessary to engage with 199
participating foster youth. 200
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(h) Provide assistance with the program's administrative 201
and procedural requirements to foster youth interested in 202
participating in the internship program, including, but not 203
limited to, identifying and monitoring internship opportunities 204
offered by approved agencies, being knowledgeable of the 205
training and skills needed to match eligible foster youth to 206
appropriate roles offered by approved agencies, and assisting 207
eligible foster youth with applying for employment positions i n 208
which they meet the minimum required qualifications. 209
(i) Publicize specific opportunities for internship 210
positions offered by approved agencies in an easily accessible 211
manner and inform foster youth who may be eligible for the 212
program of where to locat e such information. 213
(j) Assess each foster youth's career interests and 214
determine the most appropriate internship opportunities based on 215
his or her expressed interests. 216
(k) Ensure that internships under this section comply with 217
the Fair Labor Standards Act. 218
(l) By November 1, 2022, facilitate and work with the 219
Department of Education, the Board of Governors of the State 220
University System, the Independent Colleges and Universities of 221
Florida, the Commission for Independent Education, and approved 222
agencies to establish a system for secondary institutions to 223
award college credit toward a degree for internship positions 224
held by foster youth through the internship program. 225
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(m) Conduct follow-up interviews with participating foster 226
youth within 3 months af ter their employment start date to 227
ensure participants transition successfully into the work 228
environment and to gather feedback on how to improve the 229
experience for future participants. Such data must be submitted 230
to the Florida Institute for Child Welfare by August 1, 2023, 231
and by August 1 annually thereafter for inclusion in the report 232
required under subsection (8). 233
(n) Gather and compile feedback from mentors assigned to 234
participating foster youth or from other personnel who are 235
employed by participati ng agencies on how to improve the 236
experience for both foster youth participants and the approved 237
agencies that participate in the program. Such data must be 238
submitted to the Florida Institute for Child Welfare by August 239
1, 2023, and by August 1 annually th ereafter for inclusion in 240
the report required under subsection (8). 241
(o) Collaborate with the Florida Institute for Child 242
Welfare to provide any requested information necessary to 243
prepare each annual report required under subsection (8). 244
(5) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OF APPROVED AGENCIES. —Each 245
approved agency shall: 246
(a) Provide the department, or the community -based care 247
lead agencies or the lead agencies' subcontracted providers, 248
with a list, updated at least monthly, of open employment 249
opportunities for which an eligible foster youth may apply to 250
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seek employment through the internship program. 251
(b) Offer priority consideration, including an interview, 252
to any eligible foster youth who applies for an open other -253
personal-services position pursuant to this se ction, provided he 254
or she meets all the minimum qualifications for employment in 255
such position. 256
(c) Recruit employees within approved agencies to serve as 257
mentors for foster youth employed with such agencies through the 258
internship program. 259
1. To serve as a mentor, employees must: 260
a. Have worked for the approved agency for a minimum of 1 261
year; 262
b. Have experience relevant to the employment 263
responsibilities of the intern; 264
c. Complete a minimum of 1 hour of trauma -informed 265
training to gain skills critical for successfully engaging youth 266
who have been involved in the foster care system; and 267
d. Pass a level 2 background screening as provided in s. 268
435.04 if the employee will be assigned to a foster youth who is 269
younger than 18 years old and if the employee has not passed 270
such a screening within the previous 3 years or is not exempt 271
from such requirement pursuant to s. 435.07. An employee 272
required to pass a level 2 background screening pursuant to this 273
sub-subparagraph must submit a full set of his o r her 274
fingerprints to his or her employing approved agency. The 275
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approved agency shall forward the fingerprints to the Department 276
of Law Enforcement for state processing, and the Department of 277
Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal 278
Bureau of Investigation for national processing. The department 279
shall pay the fees for state and federal fingerprint processing. 280
The fee per each name submitted for processing shall be set at 281
the same amount as prescribed in s. 943.053(3)(e); however, if 282
any exceptions in that paragraph for a reduced fee are 283
applicable, the department may pay the reduced fee under such 284
circumstances. 285
2. Employees who serve as mentors for a minimum of 6 286
consecutive months are eligible for a maximum payment of $1,000 287
per intern per fiscal year, to be issued as follows: 288
a. At the conclusion of the first 6 consecutive months of 289
service, $500. 290
b. At the conclusion of an additional 6 consecutive months 291
of service, $500. 292
3. An employee may serve as a mentor for a maximum of 293
three interns at one time, but may not receive more than $3,000 294
in compensation per fiscal year for serving as a mentor. Any 295
time spent serving as a mentor to an intern under this section 296
counts toward the required minimum service to be eligible for 297
payments pursuant to subparagraph 2. 298
(d) Engage an intern's assigned mentor and the approved 299
agency's internship program liaison and, if applicable, document 300
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the intern's failure to comply with a corrective action plan 301
after being given a reasonable opportunity to do so before 302
discharging a foster youth employed pursuant to this section. 303
(e) Provide relevant feedback to the department at least 304
annually for the department to comply with paragraphs (4)(m) and 305
(n). 306
(f) Collaborate with the Florida Institute for Child 307
Welfare to provide any requested information necessary to 308
prepare each annual report required under subsection (8). 309
(6) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION. —A foster youth who 310
obtains employment with an approved agency may participate in 311
the internship program for no more than 1 year from his or her 312
start date of employment as an other -personal-services employee 313
with an approved agency pursuant to this section. A foster youth 314
may be employed as an intern under the internship program by 315
more than one approved agency, but may not be employed by more 316
than one approved agency at the same time. However, an approved 317
agency may extend the employment of a foster youth beyond the 1 -318
year internship program in his or her capacity as an other -319
personal-services employee or may hire the foster youth as a 320
full-time employee, but the extension of employment or hiring of 321
a foster youth may not be as an intern pursuant to this section. 322
(7) CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. —As conditions of employment 323
as an intern under the i nternship program, a foster youth shall 324
be subject to all of the following: 325
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(a) A participant must meet the definition of foster youth 326
as defined in paragraph (3)(c) at the time such youth applies 327
for an internship position with an approved agency. 328
(b) A foster youth must complete the minimum training 329
requirements provided in paragraph (4)(f) related to 330
interviewing before an interview with an approved agency and 331
must complete all other training before commencement of work 332
within the approved agency. Th e department, or, if designated, 333
the community-based care lead agencies or the lead agencies' 334
subcontracted providers, may determine on a case -by-case basis 335
if an eligible foster youth needs to complete training before he 336
or she applies for an internship p osition. 337
(c) If offered employment as an intern, a foster youth 338
must be classified as an other -personal-services employee. 339
Foster youth who have accepted employment with an approved 340
agency pursuant to this section may be discharged after the 341
approved agency has engaged the intern's assigned mentor and the 342
approved agency's internship program staff to assist the intern 343
and has documented the intern's failure to comply with a 344
corrective action plan after being given a reasonable 345
opportunity to do so. 346
(d) A foster youth may work a maximum of 20 hours per 347
week. 348
(e) A foster youth shall spend all stipend funds received 349
for the specific purpose of purchasing business attire or 350
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clothing that is in compliance with the dress code requirements 351
of the approved agency with which the foster youth is employed. 352
Notwithstanding any limitation on funds provided to purchase 353
clothing, foster youth shall comply with any dress code 354
requirements of the approved agency with which he or she is 355
employed. 356
(f) A foster youth shall be afforded the employee 357
protections of all relevant and applicable federal and state 358
laws, including compensation at minimum wage for any work 359
performed. Compensation earned pursuant to employment gained 360
through the internship program may not be con sidered earned 361
income for purposes of computing eligibility for federal or 362
state benefits, including, but not limited to, the Supplemental 363
Nutrition Assistance Program, a housing choice assistance 364
voucher program, the Temporary Cash Assistance Program, the 365
Medicaid program, or the school readiness program. 366
(g) A foster youth may, at the discretion of a 367
postsecondary institution within this state in which such youth 368
is enrolled, earn college credits toward a degree for work 369
performed as an intern under the internship program. College 370
credits earned for work performed under the internship program 371
may be in addition to any compensation earned for the same work 372
performed under the internship program and may be awarded for 373
completion of the whole or any part of the internship program. 374
An institution has the discretion to determine whether the 375
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foster youth must comply with administrative requirements to be 376
eligible for college credit, but must treat such positions the 377
same as if a student obtained employment thro ugh a means other 378
than the internship program. Approved agencies shall cooperate 379
with postsecondary educational institutions to provide any 380
information about internship positions which is necessary to 381
enable the institutions to determine whether to grant t he 382
participating foster youth credit toward his or her degree. 383
(8) REPORTS.—By October 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, 384
the Florida Institute for Child Welfare shall submit a report to 385
the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of 386
the House of Representatives which evaluates the internship 387
program, including, but not limited to, whether the program is 388
in compliance with this section; the outcomes of foster youth 389
who obtain employment through the internship program; a summary 390
of the feedback received pursuant to paragraphs (4)(m) and (n) 391
from participating foster youth and mentors from approved 392
agencies who have participated in the program; and 393
recommendations, if any, for actions necessary to improve the 394
effectiveness and outcomes of the p rogram. 395
(9) RULEMAKING.—The department and approved agencies shall 396
adopt rules to implement this section. 397
Section 2. Subsection (5) is added to section 414.56, 398
Florida Statutes, to read: 399
414.56 Office of Continuing Care. —The department shall 400
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establish an Office of Continuing Care to ensure young adults 401
who age out of the foster care system between 18 and 21 years of 402
age, or 22 years of age with a documented disability, have a 403
point of contact until the young adult reaches the age of 26 in 404
order to receive ongoing support and care coordination needed to 405
achieve self-sufficiency. Duties of the office include, but are 406
not limited to: 407
(5) Establishing and operating an internship program for 408
foster youth and complying with the requirements of s. 409
409.1455(4). 410
Section 3. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sums of 411
$1,292,378 in recurring funds and $350,376 in nonrecurring funds 412
are appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department 413
of Children and Families to implement this act. 414
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 415