TALLAHASSEE — Thousands of youths in Florida’s child-welfare system have gotten in trouble with the law — and when they do, their caregivers often refuse to take them back.
Now, policymakers are trying to improve services to the teens, saying those children had already been abused or neglected when they began acting out in foster care. A work group of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet has been developing policy recommendations for so-called “crossover youth,” and a meeting on the subject is expected to take place in June.
The policymakers said these young people are among the most challenging in any state system — and the most at risk to spend their lives behind bars or on public assistance.
