SB 1023, as amended, Liu. Community colleges: foster youth.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction.
This bill would authorize the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for foster youth. The bill would provide that these services include, when appropriate, but are not necessarily limited to, outreach and recruitment, service coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial literacy skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child care and transportation assistance, and referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related services.
The bill would require a community college district that wishes to participate in this program to apply to the board of governors for funding under the program created by the bill, as specified.begin insert The bill would require, if more than 10 community college districts apply for funding, the board of governors to give priority to those districts with the higher number of eligible students.end insert The bill would require that a participating student be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the student’s 16th birthday and be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he or she participates in the program.
The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with specified requirements in the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, and to the extent that a participating community college meets specified responsibilities set forth in that act, any student who participates in the program established by this bill also receive specified matriculation services under that act.
The bill would require the board of governors to adopt regulations for the program and to be responsible for the administration of funds for the program, as specified. The bill would require the board of governors to submit a biennial report, commencing no later than March 31, 2018, and every 2 years thereafter, providing prescribedbegin delete information about this program.end deletebegin insert
information, including recommendations on whether and how the program can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses.end insert
The bill would be operative in a fiscal year only if sufficient funds have been appropriated for purposes of the bill for that fiscal year.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) There are 57,000 children and youth in California’s foster
4care system who have been removed from their biological families
5due to maltreatment and placed into the care and custody of the
6State of California.
7(b) The Legislature recognizes the historic underrepresentation
8of foster youth in postsecondary programs and the need for
9equitable efforts that enhance the enrollment and retention of foster
10youth in public colleges and universities in California.
11(1) By
21 years of age, 45 percent of former foster youth will
12graduate from high school, as compared to 80 percent of
13Californians of the same age. By 26 years of age, 4.4 percent of
14foster youth will receive a two-year degree and 3.8 percent will
15earn a four-year degree, rates significantly below the same-age
16population in California.
17(2) Low educational attainment is a factor in the poor adult
18outcomes experienced by youth in foster care. Compared to their
19same-age counterparts, former foster youth at 26 years of age are
20400 percent more likely to have been incarcerated and 300 percent
21more likely to be living below the federal poverty level.
22(3) Current and former foster youth who attend community
23college experience a low rate of persistence, transfer, and degree
24completion. Only
41 percent of current and former foster youth in
25community college persisted at least one year as compared to 62
26percent of the general student population.
27(c) The Legislature recognizes its responsibility to provide and
28adequately fund postsecondary programs and services for students
29who are current and former foster youth attending public
30postsecondary institutions.
31(d) Therefore, it is necessary and appropriate to take steps to
32encourage the enrollment, retention, and transfer of current and
33former foster youth in California’s community colleges by
34establishing an education program that provides services that
35promote their academic success. Providing academic support to
36current and former foster youth in California’s community colleges
37serves a significant governmental and
public interest, namely the
P4 1reduction in poverty and criminal justice involvement among youth
2who have been in foster care in California.
Article 7 (commencing with Section 79220) is added
4to Chapter 9 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
5Code, to read:
6
The Office of the Chancellor of the California
11Community Colleges may enter into agreements with up to 10
12community college districts to provide additional funds for services
13in support of postsecondary education for foster youth. This
14program shall be known as the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth
15Educational Support Program, and shall expand the number of
16students participating in the Community College Extended
17Opportunity Programs and Services and shall not displace other
18students. The funding provided pursuant to this article shall be
19separate and apart from the funding provided under existing
20cooperative agencies resources for education programs pursuant
21to Article 4 (commencing with Section 79150). In addition to the
22delivery of
Student Success and Support Program services, as
23defined in Section 78212, services shall include, when appropriate,
24but not necessarily be limited to, outreach and recruitment, service
25coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring,
26independent living and financial literacy skills support, frequent
27in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child care
28and transportation assistance, and referrals to health services,
29mental health services, housing assistance, and other related
30services.
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert A community college district that wishes to
32participate in this program shall apply to the board of governors
33for funding pursuant to this article. The application of each
34participating community college district shall provide the estimated
35number of foster youth who will be served. The application shall
36also describe the extent of cooperation between the local county
37child welfare department, the county probation department, the
38local educational opportunity programs and services program, and
39the district to ensure that services
provided under this article to
P5 1eligible youth are coordinated with, and do not supplant, other
2services provided by the county and state.
3(b) If more than 10 community college districts apply for funding
4under the program, the board of governors shall give priority to
5those districts with the higher number of eligible students.
A student participant in this program shall meet both
7of the following requirements:
8(a) Be a current or former foster youth in California whose
9dependency was established or continued by the court on or after
10the youth’s 16th birthday.
11(b) Be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of
12any academic year in which he or she participates in the program.
The board of governors shall adopt regulations that
14authorize the director of the Community College Extended
15Opportunity Programs and Services at each community college to
16accept students who are enrolled for at least nine units into this
17program.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with
19the requirements and intent outlined in subdivisions (b) and (c) of
20Section 78215, and to the extent that a participating community
21college meets the responsibilities outlined in paragraph (2) of
22subdivision (a) of Section 78212, any student who participates in
23the program pursuant to this article participate in the program of
24services outlined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section
2578212.
The board of governors, in consultation with the State
27Department of Social Services, shall adopt regulations for the
28program. The board of governors shall be responsible for the
29administration of funds for the program. To the extent possible,
30the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the
31County Welfare Directors Association of California, the Chief
32Probation Officers of California, and other advocates, shall consult
33with the chancellor’s office to ensure that services provided under
34this article to eligible youths are coordinated with, and do not
35supplant, other services provided by the county and state.
Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government
37Code, commencing March 31, 2018, and every two years thereafter,
38the board of governors shall submit a report to the Governor, the
39education policy committees of the Legislature, and the California
40Child Welfare Council describing its efforts to serve students who
P6 1are current and former foster youth. These biennial reports shall
2also include a review on a campus-by-campus basis of the
3enrollment, retention, transfer, and completion rates of foster youth,
4including categorical funding of those programs.begin insert The reports shall
5also include recommendations on whether and how the program
6under this article can be expanded to all community college
7
districts and campuses.end insert
This article shall be operative in a fiscal year only if
9funds have been appropriated for purposes of this article for that
10fiscal year.
The board of governors may authorize the chancellor,
12consistent with the requirements the board may impose, to
13designate up to 2 percent of the funds allocated pursuant to this
14article for program administration.
The board of governors may authorize the chancellor,
16consistent with the requirements the board may impose, to
17designate up to 3 percent of the funds allocated pursuant to this
18article for program development and program accountability.
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