OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — As the school year begins, Osceola County is making a special effort to support students who lack a permanent home.
The Families in Transition, or FIT, program in Osceola County is focused on providing resources for homeless families, with a new emphasis on reaching unaccompanied youths aged 16-19.
“Our unaccompanied youth are teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19,” said Rhonda McMahon, director of student services for the district. “For whatever reason, they are no longer in their home, and they are the ones who are couch surfing.”
For the 2023–24 school year, the Homeless Services Network reported 427 unhoused, unaccompanied students aged 16 and over in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. These teens are living in shelters, motels, cars or on the streets without parents or guardians.
McMahon explained that family homelessness is often financial, but for unaccompanied youth, it can be due to other reasons, like family abuse or lack of acceptance.
The FIT program provides assistance with paperwork, transportation, and other resources to help these students establish themselves and continue their education.
“We provide them transportation to continue the school year where they started,” McMahon said. “So that gives them stability.”
Teachers and staff are educated on how to direct students to the FIT program, so students can reach out to anyone at their schools.
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