Amended in Senate May 27, 2014

Amended in Senate April 24, 2014

Amended in Senate April 3, 2014

Senate Bill No. 1023

Introduced by Senator Liu

(Principal coauthor: Senator Steinberg)

(Coauthors: Senators Correa, Galgiani, Hancock, Hueso, and Monning)

February 14, 2014

An act to add Article 4.3 (commencing with Section 79156) to Chapter 9 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1023, as amended, Liu. Community colleges: foster youth.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction.

This bill would authorize the begin delete Chancellor’s Office end delete begin insert Office of the Chancellor end insert of the California Community Colleges, in cooperation with the State Department of Social Services, county child welfare agencies, and county probation departments, to enter into agreements with begin insert up to 10 end insert community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for foster youth through a program to assemble and coordinate cooperating agency resources. The bill would provide that these support services include, but are not necessarily limited to, child care and transportation allowances, allowances for books and supplies, counseling, career counseling, matriculation and transfer counseling, monitoring of academic progress, tutoring and mentoring, independent living skills support, frequent in-person contact, outreach and recruitment, and other related services, as well as referrals to mental health services and housing assistance.

The bill would authorize community college districts to apply to the board of governors for funding under the program created by the bill, as specified. The bill would require that a participating student be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the student’s 16th birthday, be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he or she participates in the program, and be enrolled for at least 9 units per semester.

The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with specified requirements in the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, and to the extent that a participating community college meets specified responsibilities set forth in that act, any student who participates in the program established by this bill also receive specified matriculation services under that act.

The bill would require the board of governors to submit a biennial report, commencing no later than January 31, 2017, and no later than January 31 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, providing prescribed information about this program.

The bill would be operative in a fiscal year only if sufficient funds have been appropriated for purposes of the bill for that fiscal year.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) There are 57,000 children and youth in California’s foster
care system who have been removed from their biological families
due to maltreatment and placed into the care and custody of the
State of California.

(b) The Legislature recognizes the historic underrepresentation
of foster youth in postsecondary programs and the need for
equitable efforts that enhance the enrollment and retention of foster
youth in public colleges and universities in California.

(1) By 21 years of age, 45 percent of former foster youth will
graduate from high school, as compared to 80 percent of
Californians of the same age. By 26 years of age, 4.4 percent of
foster youth will receive a two-year degree and 3.8 percent will
earn a four-year degree, rates significantly below the same-age
population in California.

(2) Low educational attainment is a factor in the poor adult
outcomes experienced by youth in foster care. Compared to their
same-age counterparts, former foster youth at 26 years of age are
400 percent more likely to have been incarcerated and 300 percent
more likely to be living below the federal poverty level.

(3) Current and former foster youth who attend community
college experience a low rate of persistence, transfer, and degree
completion. Only 41 percent of current and former foster youth in
community college persisted at least one year as compared to 62
percent of the general student population.

(c) The Legislature recognizes its responsibility to provide and
adequately fund postsecondary programs and services for students
who are current and former foster youth attending public
postsecondary institutions.

(d) Therefore, it is necessary and appropriate to take steps to
encourage the enrollment, retention, and transfer of current and
former foster youth in California’s community colleges by
establishing an education program that provides services that
promote their academic success. Providing academic support to
current and former foster youth in California’s community colleges
serves a significant governmental and public interest, namely the
reduction in poverty and criminal justice involvement among youth
who have been in foster care in California.

SEC. 2.  

Article 4.3 (commencing with Section 79156) is added
to Chapter 9 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
Code, to read:

 

Article 4.3.  Support Services for Foster Youth Attending
Community College

 

79156.  

The begin delete Chancellor’s Office end delete begin insert Office of the Chancellor end insert of
the California Community Colleges, in cooperation with the State
Department of Social Services, county child welfare agencies, and
county probation begin delete departments end delete begin insert departments, end insert may enter into
agreements with begin insert up to 10 end insert community college districts to provide
additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education
for foster youth through a program to assemble and coordinate
cooperating agency resources. This program shall be known as the
begin delete cooperating agencies foster youth educational support program, end delete
begin insert Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program, end insert
and shall expand the number of students participating in the
Community College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
and shall not displace other students. The funding provided
pursuant to this article shall be separate and apart from the funding
provided under existing cooperative agencies resources for
education programs pursuant to Section 79150. Support services
shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, child care and
transportation allowances, allowances for books and supplies,
counseling, career counseling, matriculation and transfer
counseling, monitoring of academic progress, tutoring and
mentoring, independent living skills support, frequent in-person
contact, outreach and recruitment, other related services, and
referrals to mental health services and housing assistance.

79157.  

A community college district may apply to the board
of governors for funding pursuant to this article. The application
of each participating community college district shall demonstrate
that all existing district resources reasonably available have been
exhausted, and shall provide the number of foster youth who will
be served. The application shall also describe the extent of
cooperation between the local county child welfare department,
the county probation department, the State Department of Social
Services, the local educational opportunity programs and services
program, and the district.

79158.  

A student participant in this program shall meet both
of the following requirements:

(a) Be a current or former foster youth in California whose
dependency was established or continued by the court on or after
the youth’s 16th birthday.

(b) Be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of
any academic year in which he or she participates in the program.

79159.  

Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 56220 of
Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, the director of the
Community College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
at each community college may authorize students who are enrolled
for at least nine units per semester to participate in this program.

79159.5.  

It is the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with
the requirements and intent outlined in subdivisions (b) and (c) of
Section 78215, and to the extent that a participating community
college meets the responsibilities outlined in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (a) of Section 78212, any student who participates in
the program pursuant to this article participate in the program of
services outlined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section
78212.

79160.  

The board of governors, in conjunction with the State
Department of Social Services, shall adopt guidelines for the
program. The board of governors shall be responsible for the
administration of the funds for the program. To the extent possible,
the begin insert State end insert Department of Social Services, in consultation with the
County Welfare Directors Association of California, the begin delete California
Probation Officers Association, end delete begin insert Chief Probation Officers of
California, end insert and other advocates, shall consult with the chancellor’s
office to ensure that services provided under this article to eligible
youths are coordinated with, and do not supplant, other services
provided by the county and state, including medical and mental
health care, services provided by a Transitional Housing begin delete Placement
Plus Foster end delete begin insert Placement-Plus Foster end insert Care provider or Transitional
Housing Placement begin delete Plus end delete begin insert Program end insert provider, and any other services
identified in a youth’s transitional independent living plan, if
applicable.

79161.  

Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government
Code, commencing January 31, 2017, and every two years
thereafter, the board of governors shall submit a report to the
Governor, the education policy committees of the Legislature, and
the California Child Welfare Council describing its efforts to serve
students who are current and former foster youth. These biennial
reports shall also include a review on a campus-by-campus basis
of the enrollment, retention, transfer, and completion rates of foster
youth, including categorical funding of those programs.

79162.  

This article shall be operative in a fiscal year only if
funds have been appropriated for purposes of this article for that
fiscal year.