Independent living preparation.

The department shall assist children who are in foster care in making the transition to independent living and self-sufficiency as adults. To support opportunities for participation in age-appropriate life skills activities, the department shall:

(1) Identify important life skills that children in out-of-home care should acquire.

(2) Develop a list of age-appropriate activities and responsibilities useful for the development of specific life skills for use by children and their caregivers. The age-appropriate activities must address specific topics tailored to the needs of each child’s developmental stage. For older youth, the list of age-appropriate activities must include, but is not limited to, informing the youth of available independent living services and community resources and how to apply for such services.

(3) Design and disseminate training for caregivers related to building needed life skills. The training must include components that address the challenges of children in foster care in transitioning to adulthood and information on programs for children who are aging out of care under ss. 414.56 and 409.1451, high school completion, applications for financial assistance for higher education, vocational school opportunities, supporting education, and employment opportunities.

(4) Beginning after the child’s 13th birthday, regularly assess the degree of life skills acquisition by each child. The department shall share the results of the assessments with the caregiver and support the caregiver in creating, implementing, monitoring, and revising plans as necessary to address the child’s life skills deficits, if any.

(5) Provide opportunities for children in foster care to interact with qualified, trained mentors who are committed to engaging reliably with the child long-term.

(6) Develop and implement procedures for children of sufficient age and understanding to directly access and manage the personal allowance they receive from the department.