1.6 Improving Outcomes for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Speaker: Amy Lemley Nearly 28,000 youth emancipated from foster care in 2010, and it is imperative that they have access to services, affordable housing options, education, and employment to prepare them to live independently. Communities that have extended foster care to older youth under the Fostering Connections Act and that are creatively using resources to increase housing opportunities will discuss their successes and lessons learned.

1. Extended Foster Care in California:
Implications for Youth Homelessness
NAEH Conference, February 9, 2012
Amy Lemley, Policy Director
John Burton Foundation

2. Agenda
 Overview of extended foster care in California
 Discuss considerations for homeless youth

3. What is the California Fostering
Connections to Success Act?
 California Assembly Bill 12
 Signed into law September 30, 2010
 Took effect January 1, 2012
 Aligned with the Federal Fostering Connections
to Success Act
 Extends foster care funding for youth until age
20 (21)

4. Benefits of Extended Foster Care
 Enables youth to maintain a safety net of support
while experiencing independence in a secure
supervised living environment
 Youth will be better prepared for successful
transition into adulthood
 Improved educational outcomes
 Reduced homelessness

5. AB 12 Guiding Principles
 Value permanency
 Help youth transition with lifelong connections to caring
adults.
 Create a collaborative youth-centered process
 Work proactively with youth in developing and reaching
their independent living goals
 Allow youth to gain real life experience with independence
and allow them to learn from their mistakes
 Provide a safety net for the most vulnerable youth so they
can be successful as independent adults

6. Eligibility Requirements
 Extended benefits available to foster youth who:
 Have an open court case at age 18
 Satisfy a participation condition
 Sign a mutual agreement
 Agree to meet with Social Worker
 Agree to work on transitional independent living
skills
 Live in a licensed or approved setting

7. Phase-in Timeline
• Benefits will extend to youth up to 19 years old.
2012
• Benefits will extend to youth up to 20 years old.
2013
• Benefits may be extended to youth up to 21 years old
subject to budget appropriation by the state Legislature.
2014

8. Participation Conditions
1. Be enrolled in high school or equivalent program
2. Be enrolled in college/vocational school
3. Participate in a program/activity that helps you
find a job or removes barriers to employment
4. Work at least 80 hours/month
5. Be unable to do one of the above because of a
medical or mental health condition

9. Eligibility for Delinquency Youth
 Probation youth with court order for foster care
placement at age 18
 At the time probation ends, youth may be eligible for
new “transition jurisdiction”
 Allows eligible youth to take advantage of extended benefits
without remaining under supervision of probation
 Must be 17 years 5 months or older (younger youth may
transition to dependency jurisdiction)
 Can also be taken upon re-entry
 Supervision recommendation determined at 241.1 meeting

10. Role of Social Worker
 Prior to youth turning 18 the following must be
discussed by SW with youth:
 Option to remain in EFC
 Benefits of EFC
 Right to re-enter and process for re-entering
 Terms of mutual agreement
 Affirmative obligation to ensure that NMDs who want to
participate maintain eligibility
 In order to terminate dependency, must establish in
juvenile court that the social worker made reasonable
efforts to ensure participation
 Monthly in-person visits continue to be required (51% in
home)

11. Court Hearings
 Status reviews continue to take place every 6
months
 Parents no longer noticed or parties to court
hearings
 Court hearings respect status of youth as legal
adult
 Focus on planning for transition to independence
 No warrants for “AWOL”
 No orders for psych meds
 No Caregiver consent for medical/education decisions
 Telephonic appearances allowed

12. Re-entry Overview
 Youth must be informed of right to re-entry at
termination hearing
 Youth can re-enter unlimited times prior to turning
20/ 21 yrs old.
 Re-entry process is intended to be as accessible
and easy as possible
 Youth can re-enter either by signing a voluntary re-
entry agreement or filing a petition with the court

13. Placement Options
CURRENT OPTIONS
Relative Caregiver
Foster Family Home
Home of a Non-related Legal Guardian
Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP)
Group Home
NEW OPTIONS
THP-Plus Foster Care
Supervised Independent Living

14. Supervised Independent Living Settings
THP-Plus Foster Care
Supervised Independent Living Placement

15. THP-Plus Foster Care
 Modeled after existing THP-Plus program
 WHY?
 Measurable youth outcomes
 9,188 youth served in last five years
 Experienced network of 60 providers in 51 counties
 THP-Plus will continue to serve three categories:
 Youth between ages of 21 and 24;
 Youth under age 21 who do not want to participate in extended
care;
 Youth who do not meet one of five participation conditions
For more information, visit www.thpplus.org

16. THP-Plus Foster Care
 Three different housing models:
 Single site
 Scattered site
 Host family
 Range of services, including education, employment,
mental health, tenancy.
 Rate per month: $2,400
 Will likely be licensed.

17. Supervised Independent Living Placement
 May include but are not limited to:
 Apartment living
 Renting a room (including w/ a relative or
family friend)
 Shared roommate settings
 Dorms
 No service provider/ no caregiver
 Limited to basic rate (currently $776.00/ month)
+ infant supplement
 Benefit may be received directly

18. Alameda County Demonstration Project
Innovative 2-year project:
Alameda County AB 12 Homeless
Youth Demonstration Project
Project team
evaluates
Bay Area Legal process to
Aid assists with ensure minors
making referral receive access
to Alameda to services
Dreamcatcher County Social from CWS if
screens for Services Agency eligible
potential for eligible
eligibility for minors
foster care
Homeless
minors access
Dreamcatcher Partners: Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance, Dreamcatcher Youth
Youth Shelter Shelter, Bay Area Legal Aid, Alameda County Social Services Agency

19. Alameda County Demonstration Project
Presenting needs of 27 youth screened through
the demonstration project:
 20 youth had a diagnosed mental health disorder.
 12 reported currently having health insurance
 9 youth reported having been sexually exploited as a minor
 8 youth asked to be tested for HIV
 6 requested a doctor visit as soon as possible
 6 reported currently using illicit drugs
 2 needed immediate medical assistance
 2 reported being a recent victim of violence
 2 were pregnant
 1 youth had a child but did not have custody

20. Alameda County Demonstration Project
Overall goals of the
demonstration Reduce youth
homelessness by
project: improving the
coordination between
homeless youth
Project will collect data services and county CW
and issue a summary agencies
report of findings to
help other counties
achieve 2 goals:
Identify specific
practice that can be
utilized in counties
across California

21. Additional Implications
 Youth-friendly foster care placement developed – The
Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP)
 Approved AB 12 placement for youth in extended foster care
 Allows youth to live in apartments, shared setting or student housing
while receiving their monthly federal foster care payment ($776)
 Likely more appealing placement to homeless youth than traditional
foster care placements
 Special outreach to homeless youth
 Children’s Law Center and California Youth Connection developed
outreach plan to educate homeless youth and providers about
extended foster care

22. Questions or Comments?
Amy Lemley, Policy Director
John Burton Foundation
415-693-1322
amy@johnburtonfoundation.org
Information about AB 12 at
www.cafosteringconnections.org