This document summarizes services to support emancipating foster youth in Sonoma County. It provides data on the 65 youth who will emancipate from foster care in Sonoma County in 2007. It describes mandates to support emancipating youth and outlines best practices including extending foster care, connecting youth to family/peers/caring adults, completing education, obtaining safe housing, employment, healthcare, and independent living skills. It identifies needs in the areas of education, housing, employment, and mentors. Finally, it thanks over 30 individuals and organizations providing services to emancipating foster youth in Sonoma County.

1. Patchworked Lives
Sonoma County’s Emancipating Dependents
Prepared for
Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation
October 25, 2007
Prepared by
Nick Honey, MSW, Director, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Marla Stuart, MSW, Director, Division of Planning, Research and Evaluation
Meg Easter-Dawson, MSW, Program Manager, Valley of the Moon Volunteer and Community Programs
Quotes by Sonoma County emancipating foster youth and used with permission. All photos are stock.

2. “We should dream of and plan for a day
Outline when fewer children require foster care.
Definition But until that day comes, we have a
moral responsibility to prepare young
people leaving foster care to become
Pieces (Data)
Big Picture whole adults who can fulfill their
Sonoma County Profile
potential and build bright and promising
Pattern (Services) future.” President Jimmy Carter
Mandates
Service Categories
Sonoma County
Services
Evidence Based
Practice
Gaps

3. Definition
In this context, an emancipating dependent IS …
• A youth who is reaching 18 years old,
• A dependent of the court as a result of abuse or neglect,
• And currently in a non-permanent out-of-home placement.
• This may be referred to as “aging out of the foster care system.”
In this context, an emancipating dependent IS NOT …
• a youth who is at least 16 years old,
• successfully living independently (for instance, married),
• and voluntarily petitioning the court for independence from his/her
parent/guardian and to be legally considered an adult.
More …
• At age 18, child welfare payments to the out-of-home placement cease, Medi-Cal ceases,
and the youth is no longer managed by a child welfare case worker. The youth may
independently apply for assistance.
• The youth is considered independent and has a right and obligation to make life decisions
and function as a self-supporting adult in society.
• A youth who is attending an education program leading to a high school diploma or GED and
who is expected to complete the program before his/her 19th birthday, can remain eligible for
foster placement until age 19.
• A youth is eligible to receive county provided independent living skills services until the age
of 21.

4. Big Picture: USA
500,000 children and youth in foster care2
20,000 (4%) emancipate each year2
EDUCATION
• 50% complete high school3
- 47% have received special education, 37% have repeated a grade, 67% have been
suspended from school6
- Median reading level is 7th grade6
- 15% take the necessary course to gain college admission3
• 70% want to attend college3
• 10% go on to college3
• 2% graduate from college3
• On average, college graduates earn $27,000 more per year than high school drop outs
and pay on average $9,700 more in federal and state taxes.7
SELF SUFFICIENCY
• For the general population, average age of self-sufficiency is 26 and average financial
assistance from parents from 18 to 26 is $44,50010
• For emancipating foster youth, financial assistance from the state is $2,225
• 40% of people living in homeless shelters are former foster youth.3
• Annual cost to house an emancipated youth = $20,000 - $25,000. Annual cost to
incarcerate = $55,000-$115,000. Annual cost to support a homeless adult = $54,996
CHALLENGES
• 55% have had legal involvement6
• Less than 50% would ask the foster care agency for help after emancipation6

5. Big Picture: California
100,000 children and youth in foster care2
4,300 (11%) emancipate each year1
EDUCATION
• 46% have not completed high school3
• 20% who have completed high school pursue postsecondary education
(compared to 60% of all high school graduates)3
• Of college attendees, less than 3% graduate
(compared to 24% of the general population)3
SELF SUFFICIENCY
• 65% are homeless at emancipation2 and 60% have been homeless at least one night since
emancipation10
• 75% started with less than $2503
• 75% didn’t have dishes and utensils3
• 25% report no income within one year of emancipation1
• Average annual earnings for those working one year later is $6,2351

6. Big Picture: Sonoma County
565 children and youth currently in foster care
65 (12%) will emancipate in 2007
Of the 239 dismissed dependency cases in 2006 …
• Reunified 98 (41%)
• Adopted 58 (24%)
• Guardianship 36 (15%)
• Emancipated 40 (17%)
• Runaway 4 (2%)
• Incarcerated 3 (1%)
“I want to be a member of a family
where love is strong and reliable.”

7. Sonoma County Profile
In 2007, in Sonoma County …
130 youth, ages 16-19, live in a
non-permanent out-of-home
placement as dependents of
the court.
Typically, an emancipating youth is … Female
17 years old
White
English speaking
was removed from her home
for caretaker absence or incapacity
and has experienced 5 lifetime placements
beginning at age 11

8. Sonoma County Profile
“It is unwise to be didactic because the facts are very illusive.
I now realize that not very pattern has a name, that there is no correct name
for any design, and that some of the names we take for granted
actually have relatively short histories.”
Barbara Brackman, Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns
Of course, every youth is different…
White Native American Hispanic African American BY GENDER
Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male
82 5 29 14
Number of Youth 85 45
52 30 2 3 23 6 8 6
Average Age at 11.3 14.6 10.9 10.9
First Placement
11.5 11.0
11.5 10.9 15.5 14.0 11.4 9.2 10.4 11.7
Average Number 5.2 2.4 5.1 4.9
of Placements
5.1 5.0
5.1 5.4 2.5 2.3 5.3 4.7 5.1 4.5
Most Common English English English English English
Primary
Language English English English English Spanish English English English English English

9. Sonoma County Profile
Sonoma County dependents nearing emancipation …
• 89% are on track for high school diploma or GED
• 86% have an emancipation plan
• 58% have stayed at Valley of the Moon Children’s Home
• 24% have a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
• 13% struggle with substance use challenges
• 7% are a parent
• 4% have been involved with Juvenile Justice
Reasons for Removal from Home Types of Placements
Caretaker absence or incapacity 35% Foster home 92%
General neglect 28% Shelter 58%
Physical abuse 21% Relative 46%
Sexual abuse 14% Group home 46%
Child’s disability 8% Guardian 17%
Emotional Abuse 6%
Severe abuse or neglect 5%
Other 7%

10. Mandates
1971: 26th Amendment to the Constitution
(Lowered the “age of majority” from 21 to 18.)
1999: John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act
(Doubled federal funding for Independent Living Skills Programs and
allowed states to extend foster care services and Medicaid to age
21.)
California’s Supportive Transitional Emancipation Program for
foster youth
(California’s regulations for implementing ILSP. Republished
annually.)
2002: Chafee Educational Training Vouchers
(Provides former foster youth in college up to $5000 per academic
year.)
2007: AB 1331
(Requires counties to screen foster youth between the age of 16 ½
and 17 ½ to identify those with disabilities and to apply for SSI.)

11. Service Categories
Mentor (an interested, caring, connected adult role model, could be a
relative, service provider, educator, or any other adult in the youth’s life)
Independent Living Skills (money management, driving and purchasing
a car, public transportation, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, decision
making, acquiring household items)
Housing (healthy house rules, landlord/tenant/roommate relationships,
deposit/rent assistance, being a good neighbor, furnishings)
Case Management (accessing community resources including food
assistance, clothing, applying for entitlement programs, securing legal
documents)
Education (diploma or GED, applying for and managing college financial
aid, entrance exams, and applications)
Employment (job, training, job applications, shopping and dressing for
interviews, transportation to interviews)
Health and Mental Health (post traumatic stress disorder, substance
abuse, depression, pregnancy, dental, medical)
“I am thankful that there are some people in this world that have the need to help
unfortunate children get back onto the path in which they had lost track.”
lost

12. Sonoma County Services
Program Category
Independent Living Skills
Health and Mental Health
Case Management
Employment
Education
Housing
Mentor
Program Name
Sonoma County Independent Life Skills Program (ILSP) X X X X X X X
No program serves every youth …
Sonoma County Life Long Connections X
Sonoma County Work Investment Act (WIA) X X X
Sonoma County Transitional Age Youth (TAY) X X X X
Sonoma County Teen Parent Connections X X X
Sonoma County Regional Occupational Program X X
Santa Rosa Junior College Independent Living Program X X X
Tamayo House X X X
Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP) X X
Transitional Housing Program Plus (THP+) X X
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) X X X X X X X
YouthBuild of the Community Action Partnership X X
Sonoma County Medical Alliance Foundation Give-a-Gift X

13. Best Practices
Extend foster care
Connection to family, peers, caring adults
Completion of education
Safe and stable housing
Employment
Healthcare
Independent Living Skills

14. Sonoma County Needs
Education Housing
Employment Mentors

15. “It was difficult but I am very determined to succeed in life.”
“I am looking forward to my future.”
“I am a strong person whom is motivated to achieve.”

16. Thank You
Alicia Tuso, Sonoma County Independent Living Services Program
Annette Walker, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Administration
Bob Harper, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Casey McChesney, Community Action Partnership YouthBuild
Donna Irizary, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Fred Jones, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Gigi McDonald, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Administration
Jeanne Oliver, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Karen Sellite, Sonoma County Transitional Age Youth
Kathleen Alves, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Katie Greaves, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Kay Delaney, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Laura Colgate, Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation
Lindsey Mazur, Give-A-Gift Program, Sonoma County Medical Alliance Foundation
Lisa Rohe, THPP and THP+, TLC Children and Family Services
Michael Fraga, Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation
Mignon Evans, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Millie Gilson, Sonoma County CASA
Pat Jacobs, Sonoma County Teen Parent Connection
Patricia Andrews, Sonoma County Employment & Training
Roy Freborg, Sonoma County Human Services Department, Division of Family, Youth and Children
Stephanie Hager, Santa Rosa Junior College
Stephen Jackson, Regional Occupational Preparedness, Sonoma County Office of Education
Tom Bieri, Tamayo House
Tom Joynt, Sonoma County Office of Education
And, to our community quilters for their inspiring quilts.