Agenda

Return

C.29

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	March 31, 2009

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Support Position for AB 12 (Beall, Bass, Steinberg): California Fostering Connections to Success Ac

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/31/2009

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

L. DeLaney, 5-1097

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: March 31, 2009
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

SUPPORT AB 1625 (Beall, Bass, Steinberg), a bill that AB 12 would: 1) re-enact California's existing Kin-GAP program to align it with new federal requirements and 2) provide transitional support to qualifying foster youth until age 21, as recommended by the Employment and Human Services Director.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Landmark federal legislation provides California with the ability to use federal funds to support youth to age 21.

California would utilize federal funds to meet costs currently borne by the state and counties, and would realize proven savings from declines in unemployment, homelessness, teen pregnancy, public assistance, and the other costly outcomes for young adults who “age out” of foster care.

BACKGROUND:

Recent federal legislation presents California with an historic opportunity to access federal funding for programs to assist foster children and their families. Assembly Bill 12, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act, would enable California to implement provisions of the new federal law that could help build a brighter future for our state’s most vulnerable children and result in net fiscal savings for the state during challenging economic times. AB 12 has garnered bipartisan support from California’s legislative, judicial, child welfare and advocacy communities.

In October 2008, the federal government enacted the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (Public Law 110-351). This new law gives states the ability to establish relative guardianship programs with federal financial participation in the costs. PL 110-351 also makes federal funds available for foster care, kinship-guardianship, and adoption assistance benefits to youth who meet certain conditions (e.g., employment and education related requirements) until age 21. PL 110-351 provides California with an unprecedented opportunity to access federal funding to improve the lives of our state’s most vulnerable youth.

AB 12 would ensure that California opts into these essential federal funding opportunities. AB 12 would: 1) re-enact our existing Kin-GAP program to align it with new federal requirements and 2) provide transitional support to qualifying foster youth until age 21. These changes represent both fiscally and socially responsible improvements to California’s foster care system. As a result, California would utilize federal funds to meet costs currently borne by the state and counties, and would realize proven savings from declines in unemployment, homelessness, teen pregnancy, public assistance, and the other costly outcomes for young adults who “age out” of foster care.

CO-SPONSORS

- CA Alliance of Child & Family Services - CA Youth Connection
- Children's Law Center of LA - County Welfare Directors Assoc. of CA
- John Burton Foundation - Judicial Council of CA
- SEIU State Council - Youth Law Center