Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law two important pieces of legislation aimed at helping children in the foster care system Sept. 30.
SEIU 721 members lobbied legislators and testified in Sacramento in support of both bills.
“We will be better able to give young adults a sense of security and more time to transition into adulthood so that they can be successful,” said Tony Bravo, a supervising children’s social worker who represented social workers in support of the legislation in the capitol.
- AB 12 extends transitional foster care benefits to youths between 18 and 21 years of age.
- AB 2322, also supported by SEIU 721 members in Sacramento, will add critical information to the child welfare database, the Family Child Index (FCI), in LA County.
AB 12: Bill Extends Foster Care Benefits to Age 21
The historic legislation, Assembly Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, and Assembly member Jim Beall, D-San Jose, sponsored the bill, will extend transitional foster care benefits to youths between 18 and 21 years of age.
Studies show that former foster youths are less likely to finish high school, attend college and get jobs and more likely to end up homeless and incarcerated.
The new bill also paves the way for California to take advantage of federal funds for kinship guardians. California was one of the first states to establish the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment program to provide financial assistance for children placed under legal guardianship with a relative.
Each year approximately 4,500 foster youth “age out” of the foster care system at age 18.
AB 2322: New Data Will Be Included in the FCI
The new law will help county employees better identify instances of child abuse and neglect by allowing LA County to add critical information to its child welfare database, the Family Child Index (FCI).
The bill immediately authorizes LA County to include in FCI conviction information for crimes against a child about persons living in a child’s home. Social workers currently access convictions data by contacting county law enforcement and waiting for days or even weeks for the information.
“This law has the opportunity to save kids’ lives through shared information and collaborative efforts,” Bass said. “It’s critical to give county officials every opportunity to make informed decisions regarding a child’s well-being.”
Assembly member Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, and Bass sponsored the bill.