BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1983
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 25, 2006

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
                                 Noreen Evans, Chair
                     AB 1983 (Bass) - As Amended:  April 17, 2006
           
          SUBJECT  :  Foster care.

           SUMMARY  :  Requires the state Department of Social Services (DSS)  
          to convene a workgroup to improve outreach to former foster  
          youth.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Requires DSS to convene a workgroup to identify former foster  
            youth as a priority population, to identify the services most  
            useful to former foster youth and to improve outreach efforts  
            to make these services more accessible and relevant to former  
            foster youth.

          2)States that the workgroup may include but is not limited to:   
            county welfare, mental health and health organizations; local  
            housing agencies, employer and employee unions.

          3)Requires the workgroup to prepare and submit to DSS its  
            recommendations relating to finding a more effective and  
            efficient method of providing services to former foster youth  
            no later than January 1, 2008.

          4)Allows the workgroup to secure private contributions to fund  
            its work.

           EXISTING LAW  establishes the Independent Living Program and  
          related services, including housing assistance to emancipated  
          and former foster youth.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown.

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, it is difficult to ascertain  
          the scope services and programs available to former foster  
          youth.  "A state level interagency workgroup could bring  
          together directors and key people in all the departments?to  
          determine what services are currently available to former foster  
          youth, eligibility for those services and what gaps and barriers  
          remain."

          The workgroup would identify former foster youth as a priority  








                                                                  AB 1983
                                                                  Page  2

          and develop recommendations for making services available and  
          more relevant to former foster youth.

          The Committee may wish to suggest that the workgroup identify a  
          specific age group of former foster youth as a priority.  For  
          instance, a former foster youth aged 60, now a retired  
          grandparent, may not be as much of a priority for services as an  
          unemployed or under employed former foster youth aged 16-29. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees  
          (AFSCME)
          Children's Advocacy Institute
          Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC)
          National Center on Youth Law (NCYL)

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Caitlin O'Halloran / HUM. S. / (916)  
          319-2089