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Question of the Week
Q: I understand that when applying for CalFresh, youth in my THP+FC program are to indicate the monthly stipend we provide them as their ‘unearned income’ on the application.
What if we provide them gift cards in lieu of cash, such as gift cards for the grocery store or gas cards? Should they be counting the gift cards as unearned income? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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Governor Brown Signs Senate Bill 12, Ushering in New Era of College Opportunity for CA Foster Youth
On October 12th, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 12, authored by California State Senator Jim Beall and sponsored by John Burton Advocates for Youth.
The measure will go into effect on January 1, 2018 and will increase access to the federal Pell Grant, which provides a maximum of $5,920 to students enrolled full-time. SB 12 will increase access to the Pell Grant for foster youth by enacting three measures. This includes identifying an individual to assist the youth in their application to college and financial aid, streamlining the financial aid verification process and authorizing up to 20 community college districts to implement the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Education Support (CAFYES) program, which provides hands-on assistance to youth.
John Burton Advocates for Youth would like to thank Governor Brown for his sustained commitment to the needs of California’s foster youth. Thank you also to Senator Jim Beall, who has authored numerous measures to improve the lives of California’s foster youth, including the historic Assembly Bill 12, which extended foster care to age 21. Special recognition also goes to our philanthropic partners and individual donors, who support the technical assistance and training that enables John Burton Advocates for Youth to promote college success among foster youth.
Finally, thank you to the statewide coalition of over 120 organizations and 350 current and former foster youth who advocated for SB 12, from the moment it was introduced, through the Spring and Summer, up until the Governor’s signature. We appreciate your partnership and realize without it, SB 12 would not be possible.
For a full list of bills signed by the Governor this morning, follow this LINK.
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State Clarifies Allowable & Non-Allowable Uses of Infant Supplement for NMDs in THP+FC
The California Department of Social Services has released an All County Letter to provide clarification on use of the infant supplement payment for non-minor dependent (NMD) parents residing in the transitional housing placement (THP+FC).
The ACL indicates that the recent increase of the infant supplement from $411 to $900 per month was to accommodate the board and care of the child (food, clothing, shelter, daily supervision, and a child’s personal incidentals). Because the funds are not authorized to be used for administrative costs under federal law, providers may not retain a portion of the infant supplement to cover the cost of staffing, case management and services.
When a NMD demonstrates the understanding of budgeting and the additional financial requirements of parenting, the provider may transfer the entire infant supplement directly to the parenting NMD as an allowance, which is appropriate. Alternatively, the NMD and provider may enter into an agreement, allowing the provider to hold an amount of the infant supplement to be used for specified needs of the child, such as clothing; laundry; diapers; food; medical costs; household items; costs for providing childcare; or housing related costs, such as increased rent for a larger housing unit.
Counties who contract with providers are instructed to include a process for NMDs to review and identify what maximum amount of the infant supplement will be retained by a provider for eligible expenses the provider is directly covering on behalf of the NMD’s child. This amount must be determined as part of a shared agreement between the provider and the NMD, which should be discussed in the context of a Child and Family Team meeting, or other collaborative team meeting. To read the ACL, which includes a suggested shared agreement template, follow this LINK.
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Joint Human Services Committee Meets in LA to Address Youth Homelessness
Last week, the Senate and Assembly Human Service Committee held a joint hearing on youth homelessness in Los Angeles, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The agenda included an overview of the issue, a discussion of the needs of homeless youth and a review of emerging solutions. Experts from around the state were invited, and the hearing was co-chaired by Senator Scott Weiner and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio.
In addition to the three panels of experts, the joint committee issued a background paper which provides a wide range of useful information about the topic. According to the paper, nearly one-third of the nation’s homeless youth live in California – 11,222 youth, according to the 2016 HUD count. About 850 of the counted youth were younger than 18.
The paper notes that certain populations of youth are disproportionately represented, including youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT); foster youth; youth involved with the juvenile probation system and racial and cultural minorities.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office also released an overview of state efforts to address youth homelessness, which summarizes existing programs, recently passed legislation and related state benefit programs that may assist with preventing youth homelessness.
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New Report Shows Public Safety Net Programs are Making Significant Impact on Poverty in CA
The Public Policy institute of California has issued a new series of fact sheets about poverty in California, including child poverty. According to analysis, poverty has decreased in recent years both generally and for children, from 15.3 to 14.3 percent for the general population and from 21.2 to 19.1 percent for children.
According to the analysis, rates of poverty for both groups would be higher without public benefit programs, including CalFresh, CalWORKs, the state and federal the Earned Income Tax Credit, Supplemental Security Income, and the nutritional benefit Women, Infant and Children. Statewide, these programs kept 8.2 percent of Californians out of poverty. The effect was more pronounced in different parts of the state: a full 14.2 percent of residents were moved out of poverty by these benefits in the Central Valley, 8.9 percent in Los Angeles and 4.5 percent in the Bay Area.
Among children, the two public benefit programs that made the most difference were CalFresh and the Earned Income Tax Credit, both of which lifted 4 percent of children out of poverty. Additional information is also available on child poverty by county, poverty statewide and rates of poverty by Assembly, Senate and Congressional District.
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JBAY Hiring!
John Burton Advocates for Youth has two job openings available: Project Associate and Administrative Assistant. Please share these with people who want to be part of improving the lives of California’s vulnerable youth!
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