CSAC Bulletin Article

Health and Human Services 09/16/2010

Foster Youth

AB 12 (Beall/Bass) – Support
As Amended on August 2, 2010

Assembly Bill 12, by Assembly Members Jim Beall and Karen Bass, would allow California to draw down newly available federal funds to provide enhanced support for relative caregivers and foster youth from age 18 to 21.

AB 12 would also allow California to draw down the new federal matching funds by modifying the state’s successful Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) program to align with the new federal requirements, thereby allowing the use of federal dollars to support relative guardians and augment the program. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, this provision alone would allow the state to save an estimated $70 million in 2010-11 and annually thereafter in the Kin-GAP program. 

Each year, more than 5,000 youth “age out” of California’s foster care system at 18 or 19 years of age, depending on whether they are close to high school graduation. Young people emancipating from California’s foster care system face a difficult transition to adulthood completely on their own, with no family to rely on for support and guidance. Because of this, counties have supported all efforts to obtain additional funding and flexibility at both the state and federal levels to provide robust transitional services to foster youth such as housing, employment services, and increased access to aid. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed AB 12 off of the suspense file with a unanimous vote on Thursday, August 12. The bill now goes to the Senate Floor.

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