BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Jack Scott, Chair
2005-2006 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2489
AUTHOR: Leno
AMENDED: May 26, 2006
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 28, 2006
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Educational and Support Services for Foster Youth
SUMMARY
This bill expands the current Foster Youth Services
Program, makes foster youth eligible for certain financial
aid, and gives foster youth priority in student housing at
the California State University (CSU) and University of
California (UC).
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes:
1) The Foster Youth Services Core District Programs,
operated by school districts or a consortia, and 53
countywide Foster Youth Services programs for foster
youth who reside in a Licensed Children's Institution.
The goals of these programs is to, among other
things, (1) identify the needs of foster youth; (2)
provide educational and social support services; and,
(3) improve student academic achievement and reduce
juvenile delinquency. A February 2006 report of the
California Department of Education (CDE) recommended,
among other things, that the Foster Youth Services
Programs be expanded to serve all foster youth, not
only those living in Licensed Children's Institutions
(only about 12% of foster youth).
2) The Higher Education Outreach and Assistance Act for
Emancipated Foster Youth, which requires:
a) The Trustees of the CSU and Board of
Governors of the California Community Colleges
to, among other things to assist emancipated
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foster youth, review housing issues to ensure
basic housing during the school year, including
vacations and holidays other than summer break,
and track retention rates of students who
voluntarily disclose their status as former
foster youth.
b) The Trustees and Board of Governors to
evaluate the extent to which their current
programs are meeting the needs of foster youth
and how outreach and retention services can be
improved.
c) The State Department of Social Services and
county welfare departments to, in coordination
with the CSU and CCCs, communicate with foster
youth at two grade levels designated jointly by
the CSU and CCCs to conduct outreach and
technical assistance for prospective students.
d) The Student Aid Commission to provide
outreach services and technical assistance to
foster youth at the designated two grade levels.
The Department of Social Services and county
welfare departments are to communicate with
foster youth to facilitate the Student Aid
Commission's outreach and technical assistance
for prospective students.
3) The Cal Grant program. Cal Grant B serves the lowest
income students, and unlike the Cal Grant A, does not
pay for tuition and fees in a student's first year of
college (a Cal Grant B provides $1,551 that is
intended to be used for books, transportation, etc.).
Cal Grant B recipients who attend a CCC are eligible
for a Board of Governors fee waiver.
4) The California Chafee Grant Program
(federally-funded), which gives "free money" up to
$5,000 per academic year to current or former foster
youth to use for vocational school training (of at
least one year in duration) or college courses. To
apply students must file a FAFSA and must not have
reached their 22nd birthday by July 1, preceding the
academic year for which they will be attending school.
This program is not an entitlement.
ANALYSIS
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This bill :
Foster Youth Services Program
1) Expands the current Foster Youth Services Program by
authorizing county offices of education, consortiums
of county offices of education, consortiums of school
districts and county offices of education to apply to
the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) for
grant funding, to the extent funds are available, to
operate an education-based foster youth services
program.
2) Requires each program, if sufficient funds are
available, to have at least one person identified as
the foster youth educational services advocate. This
advocate is to ensure educational services are
provided to any foster youth in the county who is a
ward of the court, with specified responsibilities.
3) Requires each program to use guiding principles that
establish a priority of services, as specified.
Cal Grant B
Extends to current or former foster youth eligibility for
Cal Grant B awards that cover tuition and fees (currently
awards other than access award in first year are capped at
2% of recipients).
University grants
1) States Legislative intent that all current and former
foster youth (California residents) have their system
wide and campus fees covered by grants, and if a
foster youth does not receive a Cal Grant sufficient
to cover those fees, the CSU provide CSU grant funds
to cover all of those fees. Legislative intent is
also stated requesting UC do the same.
2) Requires the California State University (CSU) to
annually provide information to the Department of
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Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office to ensure
that its budget is augmented to provide necessary
funding for the State University Grant Program. The
UC is requested to do the same.
Student housing
Requires a CSU (and the University of California, to the
extent the Regents adopt a resolution to do so) campus that
has student housing to give priority to current and former
foster youth, as specified.
Chafee Grants
1)States legislative intent that new and renewal payments
be made to eligible foster youth in the Chafee program by
October 15, 2006.
2)Requires, if Chafee Grant payments are not made to
eligible foster youth by October 15, 2006, the Student
Aid Commission and the Department of Social Service to
report to the Legislature and Governor by March 1, 2007,
on the reasons for the failure to make timely payments
and description of corrective actions to prevent delays
in future years.
Notification
Requires the Department of Social Services to annually
notify in writing all foster youth 13 years of age and
older of the educational support available pursuant to this
bill.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Cal Grant B . This bill makes foster youth eligible for
a Cal Grant award, in addition to the "access" grant
of $1,551 that covers tuition and fees. This
provision would only affect foster youth attending UC,
CSU or private colleges and universities, as Cal Grant
B recipients who attend a CCC are eligible to receive
a Board of Governors fee waiver.
2) What is the concern about late payments in Chafee ?
According to the Assembly Higher Education Committee
analysis, "foster youth do not typically have families
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upon which to rely while they await financial aid
grants. Their needs are considerable and immediate.
Actual payments in this program have been seriously
delayed for a combination of reasons, including the
October availability of federal funding, delays in
Department of Social Services certification of
eligible foster youth and Student Aid Commission
delays in making awards and processing payments. In
the current year, renewal students were paid sometime
between mid-September and mid-October 2005. New
recipients, however, were not even selected by the
Student Aid Commission until March 17, 2006, and
payments were not actually started until early April
2006. Campuses report that foster youth, who had
applied for this assistance many months ago, have
experienced serious difficulties, including eviction
from residences and dropping out of college."
3) Do foster youth need priority for student housing ?
Also according to the Assembly Higher Education
Committee analysis, "foster youth would be well served
by more stable residences during their college years.
Most students who reside in college dorms typically go
home for holiday and vacation breaks. The lack of a
home to which a foster youth might go has caused
problems for this population for many years. Priority
for housing, including year-round and vacation-break
housing, where available, is a positive step toward
providing this population with critically needed
stability."
4) Fiscal effect . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee analysis, this bill would
impose:
a) Up to several million dollars annually to
expand foster youth education and support
services.
b) Approximately $270,000 annually to provide
tuition and fee payments to Cal Grant B
recipients in their first year of college.
c) Annual General Fund costs of about $12,000
for the Department of Social Services to notify
foster youth of the availability of educational
support.
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5) Related legislation . AB 1532 (Bass, 2005) eliminates
the annual March 2 Cal Grant deadline for current or
former foster youth, thereby allowing them to apply
for an "entitlement" Cal Grant, essentially, on a
year-round basis. AB 1532 is pending on this
Committee's suspense file.
AB 1315 (Liu) deletes the existing cap ($1,551) on the
maximum award for "access costs" under the Cal Grant
B program and instead; 1) requires that the maximum
award for 2006-07 equal at least $1,551; 2) requires
that the maximum award be increased by no less than 5%
and no more than 10% annually until it is equal to at
least 20% of the access costs determined via the
California Student Aid Commission administered Student
Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS); and 3) requires
that, in between the triennial updates of the SEARS,
the maximum award be adjusted by the percentage
change in the California Consumer Price Index. AB
1315 is pending on this Committee's suspense file.
SB 1777 (Alarcon) provides supplemental funding to school
districts and county offices of education that provide
instructional services to foster youth. SB 1777 is
set for hearing in the Assembly Education Committee on
June 28, 2006.
SUPPORT
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
California Association of Adoption Agencies
California Coalition for Youth
California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association
California State Association of Counties
California State PTA
Children's Advocacy Institute
City and County of San Francisco
County Welfare Directors Association of California
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Contra Costa County
Junior League of California, State Public Affairs Committee
National Association of Social Workers
San Francisco Unified School District
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
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OPPOSITION
None received.