A bill making it easier for foster kids to obtain a Florida driver’s license cleared its first Senate committee Tuesday.
Venice Republican Senator Nancy Detert says little by little, state lawmakers are making life easier for foster kids. Now, Detert wants to get rid of a roadblock she says has been causing problems for foster kids close to going out on their own.
“We found that when they were leaving the system at age 18, not knowing how to drive a car, a lot of them were ending up homeless, or were in jail, because we did not give them the tools for independence,” said Detert.
So, under a pilot program in her so-called “Keys to Independence” bill, foster parents would be reimbursed for putting foster kids on their insurance as well as paying for drivers’ education courses—something Detert says is hard for them to do today because of the cost.
“So, I think this is just another thing that needs to be done when only two percent of them end up being able to drive a car. It’s pretty hard to be successful to be, even employed, if you can’t get to work,” Detert added.
Detert says she’s also considering getting rid of one provision in her bill, after some lawmakers raised concerns that foster kids would get preference when in enrolling in driver’s ed courses.
Her bill passed the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee unanimously Tuesday. It’s expected to cost the state $800,000 for the first year of the three-year pilot.
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