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May Is National Foster Care Month
Building connections with youth: Heather
Kids Central, Inc.
Heather
Building connections with youth
Heather
Heather had been placed in residential services with the Department of Juvenile Justice and did not enter the Road to Independence (RTI) program until 6 months after her 18th birthday.
Heather and her family had been involved with the Department of Children and Families under protective services since 2003. She had been in foster care since 2006 and spent most of that time as a runaway or in detention.
However, while she was in a Juvenile Justice residential program, Heather earned her GED. After her release, she was given funds provided by Florida's RTI program to continue her education.
Now Heather is a full-time student at the College of Central Florida. She has completed 32 credit hours so far and is enrolled as a full-time student in the spring semester. While attending school, Heather has also maintained part-time employment at a local restaurant. Heather has a 3.76 GPA and has been on the Dean's List every semester since her enrollment. As a measure of her scholastic achievement, Heather was invited to become a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society last semester.
Heather is working to become a registered nurse, specializing in pediatric nursing because she loves children. Heather's road to adulthood and independence has been difficult, but today she is a successful young adult.
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