The power of 3 extra years: AB12 to the rescue of California’s foster youth
Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill to extend foster care benefits to age 21
Navigating the foster care system is a tough business for the kids who must live it, but life outside of the system can be even tougher. Once foster youth turn 18 they are essentially on their own: penniless and aimless, foster kids at 18 are more likely to be homelessness, incarcerated, or addicted to drugs than the average teen. Yesterday California implemented a common sense solution to this problem when Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB12, the California Fostering Connections Success Act, which allows foster youth to stay in the system until they are 21. Under AB12 foster youth who continue their education or job training and who work at least a part-time job would be eligible for extended benefits until they are 21. The costs for these extra years of benefits will be cost negligible for California, as AB12 is designed to bring the state into compliance with a 2008 act of Congress that made federal matching funds available for these kinds of programs. Can three extra years help the thousands of foster kids manage the difficult transition into independent adulthood?
Hear the issues from the perspective of former foster care youth
Guests:
Trish Ploehn, director of the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS)
Chantel Johnson, legislative and policy director at California Youth Connection
Karen Bass, Speaker Emeritus (D-Baldwin Hills)
Monique Molina, former foster care youth & member of the Placer Chapter of California Youth Connection
Trayvon Walker, foster reform advocate and former foster youth
Lola Bell, former foster youth
- Patt Morrison for October 1, 2010
- Has the explosion of social networks made the invasion of privacy acceptable?
- The power of 3 extra years: AB12 to the rescue of California’s foster youth
- Comedy Congress from the Crawford Family Forum!
Also on this episode
Events
Comedy Congress Live
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
7:30 p.m.
- 9 p.m.
Tickets for this event are sold out. Please email Forum Coordinator Jenny Smith at jsmith@kpcc.org to be added to the waitlist. Thank you!
The comedic material emanating from Washington D.C., and state capitols across the country, is enough to make any sitcom writer jealous, even if most of that ... » More info
