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AB 12 Question of the Week
Q: I am a helping a foster youth who is participating in AB12 to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and it is asking her to provide income information for her parents. Does she have to do this since she’s a foster youth? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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Support Legislation to Ensure Access to Priority Registration for Foster Youth
California State Senator Jim Beall has introduced Senate Bill 906, which would ensure the availability of priority registration for foster youth, low-income students and students with disabilities in college in California. It would also modify the eligibility for foster youth to align it with the recently created Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Education Services (CAFYES).
As many are aware, these three categories of students fare much worse than the general population and are less to hold a post-secondary education degree by age 26. For foster youth, 6 percent will hold a college degree, 10 percent of low-income students and 29 percent of students with a disability, as compared to half of the population that is not low-income, disabled or in foster care.
SB 906 will ensure priority registration remains available for three important student populations by removing a sunset clause that would have eliminated priority registration on January 1, 2017. The provision also changes priority registration eligibility for foster youth. Currently, foster youth are eligible for priority registration if they were in foster care on or after their 18th birthday and under age 23. Under the new criteria, foster youth would be eligible for priority registration if they were in foster care on or after their 16th birthday, and were under age 26.
To read a fact sheet about SB 906, follow this LINK. Please take moment to express your support by sending in a support letter. To download a sample, follow this LINK.
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What's on Deck for Improving Services for Kinship Families in 2016?
On February 17, 2016 the Alliance for Children’s Rights will host the web seminar, Strengthening Kinship Families: Focus on 2016 Policy Reforms. This web seminar will take place between 10 AM to 12 PM and will focus on the 2016 California legislative proposals and reform efforts that are underway that will most impact kinship caregivers.
Topics of discussion for this web seminar include a focus on improving recruitment of kinship caregivers, and retention, services and supports for these families and will have experts from the Alliance for Children’s Rights, Children’s Law Center, Public Counsel, and Children Now to offer insight and answer any questions you might have about public policy regarding kinship care.
If you are interested in attending this web seminar, please click this LINK. For answers to any questions you might have regarding this web seminar, please contact William Smith at w.smith@kids-alliance.org or call 916-283-6559. To find out more about this web seminar and other trainings being offered, please click HERE.
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Special EITC Training For Caregivers and Foster Youth
With income tax season in full swing, now is a good time for foster parents, relative caregivers and foster youth to make sure they have the latest information about the federal and California State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which can provide eligible families up to $8,895.
On Wednesday, March 9th at 10:00 a.m. the John Burton Foundation and the Child Welfare League of America will host a special web seminar to provide this important information to California’s child welfare community. The web seminar will cover both the federal and California state EITC programs and address special topics related to foster care for both caregivers and foster youth.
To download a flyer to share with caregivers and foster youth, follow this LINK. To register, follow this LINK.
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New Quarterly Reports Available on Exiting Foster & Probation Youth in California
The California Department of Social Services has updated its reporting on older youth in foster care with the issuance of the SOC 405X and SOC 405XP. These two reports replace the SOC 405E, which collected exit outcomes for youth aging out of foster care on quarterly basis.
The new reports provide a higher level of detail. First, there is now one report for foster youth (SOC 405X) and one for probation youth (SOC 205 XP). Within each report, all outcome measures are now provided by age increment and also include information about youth who re-enter.
The most recently available quarter is July through September 2015. In that quarter, a total of 788 foster youth exited care and 237 youth exited juvenile probation. For each of these youth, the reports details outcomes in the area of employment, education, financial support, housing arrangements, health care and permanency connections. To access the reports, follow the links above.
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Implementation Update: 17 Counties Opt-Into Extension of THP-Plus to 36 Months
According to information provided by the California Department of Social Services to the John Burton Foundation, a total of 17 counties have notified the department that they are modifying their eligibility criteria for THP-Plus to enable youth who are enrolled in school to participate in the program for 36 months instead of 24 months, provided the youth is under age 25.
This county option to expand the length of time a youth may participate in THP-Plus was authorized in Senate Bill 1252 (Torres) which went into effect on January 1, 2015. The goal of the provision was to provide former foster youth with adequate time to complete high school and establish themselves in post-secondary education.
The 17 counties that have notified CDSS of their intent to implement this provision include Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Merced, Napa, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Yolo and Yuba. As noted in ACIN 40-15 this provision applies to all youth participating in THP-Plus in these 17 counties who are enrolled in school, which is defined in the same manner as it is for participation in extended foster care.
If you have questions about this policy, read the related ACIN or contact the ILP policy unit at CDSS.
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