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Former Foster Youth to Serve as State Ombudsperson
The California Department of Social Services has announced that Rochelle Trochtenberg was selected to serve as the Foster Care Ombudsperson for the State of California. This position was established by California Senate Bill 933 in 1998 and has a range of oversight responsibilities, including serving as "an independent forum for the investigation and resolution of complaints made by or on behalf of children placed in foster care and make appropriate referrals." To learn more about the services of the Office of the Ombudsperson or to request assistance, visit their website,
Ms. Trochtenberg has served foster youth in California in a variety of capacities and is a member of the California Child Welfare Council. Her appointment was covered by multiple media outlets, including an article in the San Jose Mercury News.Congratulations!
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Senator Mitchell Introduces New Legislation to Decriminalize Prostitution for Minors
Senator Holly Mitchell has introduced Senate Bill 1322, which would decriminalize prostitution for minors in California. As many are aware, there was new funding in last year’s state budget to improve services for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC). However, according to Mitchell’s office, the laws did not change to decriminalize these victims. Instead, CSEC victims are still being prosecuted through the delinquency court system when a victim is arrested for prostitution, loitering, or a similar crime as a result of his/her victimization.
According to Mitchell’s office, SB 1322 would stop the criminalization of CSEC victims by decriminalizing prostitution charges for minors. If it is determined that the person suspected of soliciting prostitution is under the age of 18, law enforcement would immediately report any allegation of commercial sexual exploitation to the county child welfare department. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, states around the country have taken the this action.
To learn more about the bill, read the fact sheet or contact John Skogludn in Senator Mitchell’s office.
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What Did We Miss? A Policy Agenda to Improve Foster Care for Young Adults
January 1, 2016 marks the fourth anniversary of the implementation of extended foster care in California, which has provided safe, affordable housing and ongoing supportive services to thousands of Non-Minor Dependents. While the policy has been largely successful, the last four years of implementation have been educational and revealed several areas where additional work is required.
On Wednesday, March 2 from 10:00 to 11:00, the John Burton Foundation will host a web seminar together with the National Center for Youth Law, Children’s Law Center and Children’s Advocacy Institute to focus on three areas where additional effort is needed to serve older-youth in foster care and provide information about policy initiatives to address these area: Improving post-secondary education outcomes, preventing unplanned pregnancy and improving support for young families in foster care. To download a flyer, follow this LINK. To register, follow this LINK.
Please note, this web seminar will replace the one scheduled on the Chafee ETV and will include that content.
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Registration Now Open for the 2016 Taking Action Conference
Registration for The California Coalition for Youth (CCY) Taking Action Conference 2016 (TAC 2016) is now open. The focus of TAC 2016 will be on teaching about the rights, resources and choices youth have available to reach their full potential and is intended for all youth service professionals, health educators, social workers, advocates and transition age youth throughout California.
This year’s conference is a 3-day event, April 24-26, 2016, and will be offering specialized programs for youth, staff and executive-level attendees. CCY is currently receiving workshop proposals aimed at three distinct groups: youth, staff, and upper-management level leaders. If you are interested in submitting a workshop proposal, please click here. If you have any questions regarding registration, workshops or sponsorship please feel free to contact Refugio Pantoja or call 916.514.4464 x106.
If you are interested in attending TAC 2016, the event will be held at the Holiday Inn, Sacramento Capitol Plaza. To book a room at a discounted rate, you can click here. All reservations using the group code need to be made no later than March 24th, 2016. To register for the Taking Action Conference 2016, please click here.
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Presentation Demystifies State Budget Process
Director of Research Scott Graves of the California Budget and Policy Center recently provided an introduction to the California State budget process works.
The presentation is a concise overview of how the State of California sets its annual budget, which totaled $235 billion in 2015-16 and is a useful primer for anyone who wants a high-level understanding about California’s state budget, including the role of Proposition 26, Proposition 98 and the keys steps in the budget process that occur over the first half of every year. To view the presentation, follow this LINK.
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