BILL ANALYSIS
SB 654
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Date of Hearing: August 4, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 654 (Leno) - As Amended: January 5, 2010
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:6 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill extends eligibility for Independent Living Program
(ILP) services to former foster youth who were placed with
non-related legal guardians (NRLGs) whose guardianship was
ordered on or after the child's eighth birthday.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)The funding for ILP is a relatively stable amount ($35 million
proposed for 2010-11) and is not sufficient to provide
services for all of the eligible foster youth. Adding
additional eligible youth to the ILP caseload does not
guarantee counties will be able to provide services for them.
Alternately, counties may decide to provide fewer services,
thus allowing their funding to stretch farther to cover more
eligible youth.
2)If the funding were to increase proportionally to account for
the new eligible youth, it would likely cost approximately
$300,000 (GF).
3)Anecdotal evidence suggests that some non-related foster
parents are reluctant to assume guardianship of their older
foster children because that would make them ineligible for
ILP services. Therefore, to the extent that this bill causes
some foster parents to assume legal guardianship, it would
save approximately $3,500 per year, per child, in child
welfare services and court room costs.
COMMENTS
SB 654
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1)Rationale . This bill is intended to insure that foster youth
who achieve permanency in their families through legal
guardianship have access to ILP services as they prepare to
move into adulthood.
According to the author, four years ago, the California
Department of Social Services reinterpreted eligibility for
federal ILP (Independent Living Program) services to exclude
foster youth placed with non-related guardians. This
exclusion left a specific population of foster youth without
access to the benefit of ILP services, despite the fact they
remain in state-funded foster care placements, are linked to
the child welfare system, and previously received ILP
services. It is important to note that foster youth placed
with non-related legal guardians are the only group of foster
youth precluded from participating in ILP.
2)Background . ILP services for foster youth vary greatly by
county. Among the services provided are transitional housing,
textbooks for community college students, job placement
assistance, supplies for setting up apartments, cooking and
housekeeping classes.
a) Independent Living Program . The Department of Social
Services has estimates it will receive approximately $20
million in federal funding for providing ILP services to
foster youth and former foster youth. The federal
government allows the state to use these funds to help
facilitate the transition for foster youth who will
emancipate from the program without an adoptive parent or
guardian. The funds can be used for youth between the ages
of 16 and 21, or in cases where 14 and 15-year-olds are
determined likely to emancipate from foster care. Federal
funding, however, is insufficient to provide services for
all eligible foster youth.
b) Extended ILP . SB 933 (Chapter 311, Statutes of 1998)
implemented the extended portion of ILP, which increases
the funding in an attempt to allow most eligible foster
youth to receive ILP services. The governor's proposed
budget for 2010-11 proposes $15 million (GF) for extended
ILP services.
3)Related Legislation . In 2008, AB 2399 (Portantino) was
substantially similar to this bill but extended ILP to all
SB 654
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youth placed with nonrelative legal guardians. That bill was
held by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
In 2006, AB 2194 (Bass) would provide eligibility for the
Independent Living Program (ILP) to wards of non-related legal
guardians (NRLGs) that receive permanent placement services
and to former foster youth that were adopted at the age of 14
or older. That bill was held by the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081