BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
BILL NO: AB 2342
A
AUTHOR: Evans
B
VERSION: May 28, 2010
HEARING DATE: June 22, 2010
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FISCAL: Appropriations
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4
CONSULTANT:
2
Hailey
SUBJECT
Foster youth: outreach programs
SUMMARY
Requires the office of the state foster care ombudsperson
to develop a resource guide for adolescent foster youth.
ABSTRACT
Current law
1) Establishes the office of the state foster care
ombudsperson as an autonomous entity within the Department
of Social Services (DSS) to provide children placed in
foster care with the means to resolve issues related to
their care, placement and services. [Welfare and
Institutions Code (WIC) Section 16161]
2) Requires the ombudsperson to disseminate information
regarding the rights of children and youth in foster care,
and allows the office, counties, foster care providers and
others to use that information in fulfilling their
responsibilities to inform foster youth about their rights.
(WIC Section 16164)
Continued---
STAFF ANALYSIS OF ASSEMBLY BILL 2342 (Evans) Page
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This bill
1) Requires the office of the state foster care
ombudsperson to develop a resource guide for adolescent
foster youth outlining statewide programs and services
related to
education, housing, health and mental health, independent
living programs, personal finance, career and job
opportunities.
2) Directs the office to incorporate the resource guide
into its existing web site and print publications.
3) Requires the office to consult with relevant state
departments, the administrative office of the courts, and
foster youth stakeholders, including the California Youth
Connection, to develop the resource guide.
4) Makes the development and distribution of the guide
contingent upon the receipt of public and private grant
funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, costs
in the range of $75,000 General Fund for DSS to work with
stakeholders and develop a resource guide for foster youth.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Need for this bill
According to the author, "There are many local and state,
and public and nonprofit organizations in California that
have developed their own version of a resource guide for
foster youth, however, these resource guides usually
include information for each specific organization only, or
are not developed specifically to include information for
foster youth. Developing and distributing a resource guide
will provide foster youth, particularly those foster youth
'aging out' of the system, with a valuable tool that they
can use to navigate the complex, and sometimes
intimidating, system of public agencies and organizations
STAFF ANALYSIS OF ASSEMBLY BILL 2342 (Evans) Page
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statewide."
The author believes the resource guide will be a useful
tool for foster parents, social workers, teachers, mentors
and others who work with foster youth, in helping them to
access the supports and services they need to successfully
transition to adulthood.
The ombudsman maintains a web site,
www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/default.htm , developed by a
former foster youth. It provides information and resources
related to foster youth rights, education, housing, and
employment, among other topics. In addition, the ombudsman
has developed a printed publication for foster youth, which
is unavailable electronically.
Prior legislation
AB 1983 (Bass) of 2006 would have required DSS to form a
workgroup to identify services available to former foster
youth, and the eligibility requirements for those services,
and to perform outreach to make those services more
accessible. The Assembly Appropriations Committee held
that bill.
Assembly votes
Floor 54-20
Appropriations12-5
Human Services 4-0
POSITIONS
Support: Aspiranet
California State PTA
California Probation Parole and Correctional
Association
Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra
Costa County
Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project of Los
Angeles County
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Six Rivers Planned Parenthood
Oppose: None received
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