BILL ANALYSIS
SB 654
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 654 (Leno)
As Amended January 5, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :23-12
HUMAN SERVICES 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Beall, Tom Berryhill, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, |
| |Ammiano, Swanson, Logue, | |Bradford, |
| |Portantino | |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De |
| | | |Leon, Gatto, Hall, |
| | | |Harkey, Miller, Nielsen, |
| | | |Norby, Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Torrico |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Extends eligibility for Independent Living Program
(ILP) services to former foster youth placed with a nonrelative
legal guardian, whose guardianship was ordered on or after the
child's eighth birthday.
Existing FEDERAL law establishes the ILP, which allows states to
apply for grants to provide assistance to former foster youth 18
to 21 years of age with their efforts to achieve
self-sufficiency and to prepare them with making a transition
from adolescence to adulthood. 42 U.S.C. 677.
EXISTING STATE LAW requires the California Department of Social
Services (DSS) to permit all eligible children to be served by
ILP until age 21. Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section
10609.3.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)The funding for ILP is a relatively stable amount ($35 million
proposed for 2010-11) and is not sufficient to provide
services for all of the eligible foster youth. Adding
additional eligible youth to the ILP caseload does not
guarantee counties will be able to provide services for them.
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Alternately, counties may decide to provide fewer services,
thus allowing their funding to stretch farther to cover more
eligible youth.
2)If the funding were to increase proportionally to account for
the new eligible youth, it would likely cost approximately
$300,000 General Fund.
3)Anecdotal evidence suggests that some non-related foster
parents are reluctant to assume guardianship of their older
foster children because that would make them ineligible for
ILP services. Therefore, to the extent that this bill causes
some foster parents to assume legal guardianship, it would
save approximately $3,500 per year, per child, in child
welfare services and court room costs.
COMMENTS : The ILP was established under federal law by the
Independent Living initiative (P.L. 99-272) in 1986, which
subsequently was replaced by the John H. Chafee Foster Care
Independence Act (P.L. 106-169). Each California county
administers its own ILP services and programs for former foster
youth 18 to 21 years old in daily living skills, financial
management, education, housing, and employment, among other
topics essential to achieving independence and transitioning to
adulthood.
According to the author, the DSS reinterpreted eligibility for
ILP services to exclude foster youth placed with nonrelative
legal guardians which has unnecessarily excluded only this group
of foster youth from receiving ILP services.
This bill would require ILP services be provided to former
foster youth placed with nonrelative legal guardians after eight
years of age. Currently, foster youth placed with nonrelative
legal guardians may receive ILP services provided the child's
court case is kept open, although at an additional, and arguably
unnecessary cost to the state and counties.
Analysis Prepared by : Michelle Doty Cabrera / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN: 0006024
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