BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1838
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1838 (Ting) - As Amended March 16, 2016
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Human Services |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY: This bill increases the infant supplement paid for the
care and supervision of the children of foster youth, provides
for receipt of the infant supplement for the six months
preceding birth, and directs the Department of Social Services
(DSS) to adopt regulations establishing new infant supplement
rates for specified placements. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that the infant supplement be equal to the basic
foster family home rate, as specified, and to be paid for the
AB 1838
Page 2
care and supervision of each child living with his or her
dependent or nonminor dependent parent when the caretaker
receives Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care
(AFDC-FC), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP),
or Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) benefits on behalf of the
parent.
2)Requires the infant supplement paid to a nonminor dependent
parent residing in a supervised independent living placement,
as specified, to be equal to the basic foster family home
rate.
3)Requires the DSS, by July 1, 2017, to adopt regulations
establishing new infant supplement rates for children living
with their parents in a group home placement, short-term
residential treatment center, or in Transitional Housing
Placement-Plus Foster Care.
4)Requires the infant supplement to be paid to a pregnant minor
or nonminor dependent for the month in which the birth is
anticipated and for the six months immediately prior, provided
the pregnancy is verified. Further specifies that such
payments shall be for the purposes of meeting the specialized
needs of the pregnant minors or nonminor dependents and to
properly prepare for the needs of the infant.
FISCAL EFFECT:
One-time cost of $ $3.1 million ($2.8 million GF) for FY
2016-17, and on-going annual cost of $6.2 million ($5.5 million
GF) beginning in FY 2017-18 to increase the infant supplement
rate for all the foster youth covered in the bill.
AB 1838
Page 3
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "The number of pregnant and
parenting dependents has increased significantly with the
expansion of foster care to 21 in 2012, raising new questions
about how California should address this small, but highly
vulnerable population. This bill lends critical support to
pregnant and parenting foster youth by expanding the existing
infant supplement provided to parenting foster youth. This
bill allows pregnant foster youth to receive the infant
supplement six months prior to their due date to ensure better
access to prenatal care, increases the supplement to match the
existing basic stipend for foster youth caregivers, and
establishes an infant supplement for group homes and other
providers caring for youth parents."
2)Background. SB 510 (Seymour), Chapter 1066, Statutes of 1988,
implemented federal requirements stipulating that county
welfare departments provide supplemental payments for the care
of a child of a minor parent who lives with that parent in a
foster placement. At the time, the supplemental amount - or
"infant supplement" - was $326 per month per child; the amount
paid for a child living with a minor parent in a group home
was $708 per month per child. Today these amounts are $411
and $890, respectively. The infant supplement is typically
paid to the caregiver of the parenting dependent foster youth;
however, nonminor dependents living in a Supervised
Independent Living Program (SILP) receive the supplement
directly.
Studies show that pregnant and parenting foster youth face a
range of challenges including late access to prenatal care,
poverty and associated harm, short birth intervals and
vulnerability to homelessness. This bill lends critical
support to pregnant and parenting foster youth in an attempt
to lessen these challenges.
AB 1838
Page 4
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081