BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
BILL NO: SB 1252
S
AUTHOR: Torres
B
VERSION: April 7, 2014
HEARING DATE: April 22, 2014
1
FISCAL: Yes
2
5
CONSULTANT: Sara Rogers
2
SUBJECT
Former Foster Youth: Transitional Housing Program
SUMMARY
This bill establishes that services provided to former
foster youth under the Transitional Placement Program-Plus
(THP-Plus) may be extended to a former foster youth for an
additional year, to not more than age 25 and for a total of
36 months, if the youth meets specified criteria.
ABSTRACT
Existing Law :
1. Provides that a current foster youth aged 16 to 18
shall be eligible for placement in a program certified
by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
as a Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP).
(WIC 11403.2)
Continued---
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageB
2. Provides that a nonminor dependent, as defined,
shall be eligible for placement in a program certified
by CDSS as a Transitional Housing Placement-Plus
Foster Care Program (THP+FC). (WIC 11403.2)
3. Provides that a former foster youth aged 18 to 24
who has exited from the foster care system on or after
his or her 18th birthday may elect to participate in
Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus) for a
total of 24 months. (WIC 11403.2)
4. Provides that payments on behalf of an eligible
person shall be made to licensed transitional housing
placement providers. (WIC 11403.2)
5. Establishes the California Fostering Connections to
Success Act (AB 12, Beall and Bass, Chapter 559
Statutes of 2010), which corresponds with the federal
Fostering Connections to Success Act that provides an
option for states to receive federal financial
participation for federally-eligible nonminor
dependents or former dependents of the juvenile court
who are between the ages of 18-21 and who satisfy
certain conditions, and provides for state-only
extended benefits for non-federally eligible youth.
(WIC 11403)
6. Establishes multiple programs of support for
dependent or former dependent children and the
families that care for them. Each of the federally
reimbursed programs has a corollary state-only funded
program for children who are not eligible under Aid to
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) income
eligibility criteria from 1996 including:
Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster
Care (AFDC-FC); (WIC 11401)
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program
(Kin-GAP); (WIC 11360; WIC 11385)
Adoption Assistance Program (AAP); (WIC 16115)
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageC
Non Relative Legal Guardianship (NRLG); (WIC
11405)
CalWORKs (for non-Title IV-E eligible children
in foster care residing with relatives). (WIC 11250)
This bill:
1. Provides that services provided to former foster
youth under the Transitional Placement Program-Plus
may be extended to a former foster youth for an
additional year, to not more than age 25 and for a
total of 36 months, if the youth meets the following
criteria:
Is completing secondary education or a
program leading to an equivalent credential.
Is enrolled in an institution that
provides postsecondary vocational education.
FISCAL IMPACT
This bill has not been reviewed by a fiscal committee.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Purpose of the bill:
According to the author, foster youth encounter multiple
challenges to completing a college education. One of the
ways that the state has been supportive of eliminating
barriers to succeeding in higher education is helping youth
transition in stable, independent, living situations,
including the Transitional Housing Program. Additionally,
the author cites a recent analysis by the Institute for
Evidence-Based Change and the University of California
Berkeley Center for Social Services Research (CSSR) which
found that foster youth graduate from high school, enroll
in community college, and persist in community college for
a second year at lower rates than, not only students in the
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageD
general population, but also other disadvantaged students.
The author additionally cites reports published by the
Stuart Foundation that 70 percent of foster youth expressed
interest in attending college in some capacity, but that
only 10 percent enrolled, while it is projected that only 3
percent would graduate with a degree.<1>
Extended Foster Care (AB 12)
As of January 1, 2014, any youth who turned 18 while under
the order of foster care placement is eligible to
participate in extended foster care until the age of 21 if
the youth meets one of the following requirements:
Is completing high school or an equivalent program;
Is enrolled in college, community college or a
vocational educational program at least half time;
Is employed (paid) at least 80 hours a month;
Is participating in a program or activity designed
to remove barriers to employment;
Is unable to meet the above requirements due to a
medical condition as verified by a health
practitioner.
Additionally, some youth who turn 18 in guardianship under
the Kin-GAP program or under the Adoption Assistance
Program are eligible for extended foster care (if the youth
was 16 or older at the time of guardianship or has a
disability). Youth who are not eligible for extended foster
care may be eligible for CalWORKs.
Post-Secondary Educational Attainment for Former Foster
Youth
A 2013 report also published by the Stuart Foundation
entitled "At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the
Path from High School to College," states that foster youth
confront multiple risk factors for low educational
attainment including disabilities, language barriers,
-------------------------
<1> Stuart Foundation. " Foster Youth Educational Outcomes
in Four California Counties. " November 2011
http://www.stuartfoundation.org/Files/FirstLook_FullReport_N
ov2011.pdf
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageE
emotional trauma, lower educational attainment in high
school, and less of a support system due to disrupted
social connections. The report states that foster youth are
among the most vulnerable young Californians, are more
likely to attend schools with low performance rankings
according to the Academic Performance Index, and that about
one quarter of foster youth had a disability in contrast to
one-tenth of the general population. Additionally, the
report states that relative to the general student
population, foster youth performed poorly on the California
Standards Test in English-Language arts, with nearly a
quarter scoring far below basic level on the test and
another 27 percent scoring in the next lowest category,
below basic. The report concludes that these and other
findings point to the "overarching importance of providing
foster youth with the support they need to complete high
school as well as enroll and succeed in college at the same
rates as other students."
Transitional Housing for Current and Former Foster Youth
In California, three transitional housing placement options
have been established for current and former foster youth
including the Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP)
for current minor foster youth or wards ages 16 to 17,
Transitional Housing Placement Plus Foster Care Program
(THP+FC) for current nonminor dependent foster youth ages
18 to 20, and Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus)
for former foster youth ages 21 to 23. These placement
options are licensed by CDSS and providers may offer THPP
or THP+FC, or it may offer both options.
Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP)
Licensed THPP providers receive monthly reimbursement rates
to provide transitional housing and a safe living
environment for 16 and 17-year old minor wards or
dependents and to enable the minor foster youth to develop
independent living skills as they approach adulthood. The
program provides supportive services based on a minor's
transitional independent living plan (TILP) and the Needs
and Services plan as developed by the provider.
Participants are permitted to live alone or with roommates
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageF
in apartments, condominiums, or single family dwellings.
However, program providers are required to employ social
work staff and to ensure that a social worker is available
on call 24-hrs a day to respond to emergencies.
Additionally participants are supported by county social
workers, and ILP coordinators.
Transitional Housing Placement-Plus-Foster Care (THP+FC)
The THP+FC program is a new foster care placement option
that was established through the enactment of extended
foster care and provides transitional housing to nonminor
dependents aged 18 to 20 (up to age 21). Similarly to
THPP, licensed THP+FC providers offer safe housing for
nonminor dependents and assistance in developing the skills
needed for transitioning to independent living and
supportive services are provided based on their TILP and
Needs and Services plan. There are three housing models
provided for in this program including a "single site"
apartment complex where all participants live, a "remote
site" of leased rental units within a larger housing
development, and "host families" where the participant
resides with the previous foster family or another family
or adult. According to a recent report published by the
John Burton Foundation<2>, in FY 2012-13, average monthly
rates for THP+FC were $2,797 for the single site model,
$2,797 for the remote site model and $2,225 for the host
family model. As of June 30, 2013 there were 273 youth in
placement and licensed programs in 21 counties.
Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus)
The THP-Plus is an optional county-based program in which
county-certified providers offer transitional housing to
former foster youth and wards that emancipated from foster
care at or after age 18. Former foster youth in this
program are eligible for housing for up to 24 months until
they reach age 24. There are three housing models provided
for in this program including a "single site" apartment
complex where all participants live, a "scattered site" of
leased apartments throughout the community, and "host
-------------------------
<2> THP-Plus/THP+FC Annual Report and Policy Brief for
Fiscal Year 2012-13.
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageG
families" where the participant resides with the previous
foster family or another family or adult. Unlike THP+FC,
THP-Plus does not require staff to reside on site with the
youth.
Despite the enactment of extended foster care, the John
Burton Foundation reports that half of the youth
participating in the program had experienced homelessness
prior to entering the program and that 25 percent entered
directly from homelessness. The program does not qualify
for Title IV-E reimbursements and has been fully realigned
to the counties which may operate programs at their option.
The John Burton Foundation reports that 50 counties
currently participate in THP-Plus and there are 57
non-profit providers collectively operating 81 programs
across the state. The program served 2,059 youth in FY
2012-13, including a large number of parenting youth.
Average monthly rates for THP-Plus were $2,500 for the
single-site model, $2,235 for the scattered-site model and
$1,810 for the host family model.
Prior/Related Legislation
AB 12 (Beall and Bass) Chapter 559, Statutes of 2010,
established the California Fostering Connections to Success
Act, which extended transitional foster care services to
eligible youth between ages 18 and 21 and required
California to seek federal financial participation for the
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (Kin-GAP).
AB 212 (Beall) Chapter 459, Statutes of 2011, made
technical and clarifying changes to the California
Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12).
AB 1712 (Beall) Chapter 846, Statutes of 2012, made
technical and clarifying changes to the California
Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12).
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageH
AB 427 (Hertzberg) Chapter 125, Statutes of 2001, extended
the scope of the class of children who may be provided
transitional housing.
AB 2774 (Committee on Human Services) Chapter 873, Statutes
of 1998), extended implementation of the transitional
housing placement program from a three county pilot to all
counties.
AB 1198 (Bates) Chapter 799, Statues of 1993, created the
Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP) for foster
youth 17 years of age or older and in their last year of
high school.
Comments :
This bill provides that THP-Plus services may be extended
to a youth who meets the specified eligibility criteria. It
is unclear who, or what entity, has the discretion to
provide the additional services to a youth otherwise
meeting the eligibility criteria. As drafted, this bill
could imply that an individual social worker may have
discretion to provide the additional services to a specific
youth, it could mean that a county may extend the services
to all youth who meet the criteria, or it could mean that a
county could extend the services to a subset of otherwise
eligible youth. Staff recommends the author amend the bill
to clarify who, or what entity, may extend the services to
otherwise eligible youth.
POSITIONS
Support: California Police Chiefs Association
National Association of Social Workers
Oppose: None received.
-- END --
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 1252 (Torres)
PageI