Legislation
Provided below are links to further information on key legislation pertaining to the educational rights and services for children and youth in foster care.
On October 12, 2009 Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1393, a bill that will assist transitioning foster youth with housing as they work toward a higher education degree. Specifically AB 1393 requests that the California Community Colleges, the University of California (UC), and requires the California State University (CSU) give priority to current and former foster youth for on-campus housing as well as priority for housing that is open the most days in a calendar year to ensure stable housing for foster youth throughout their college education. For more information about AB 1393 or to read Governor Schwarzenegger's press release.
AB 490 Improving Foster Youth Education (Chapter 862, Statutes of 2003)
The goal of AB 490 is to ensure that every youth in foster care has the equal opportunities to succeed academically and that educational services are received. Download more information about AB 490.
AB 899 Consolidation of Foster Children Rights (Chapter 683, Statutes of 2001)
Foster Care Bill of Rights
AB 899 established The Foster Care Bill of Rights, consolidated all of the rights of foster children into a common location in California law and established a list of the rights that foster children and youth. The policy also requires social workers to inform youth of their rights at least once every six months, and that the rights be posted in facilities that care for six or more foster children. Download more information about AB 899.
A Summary of “California's Fostering Connections to Success Act and the Cost and Benefits of Extending Foster Care to 21"
By Mark E. Courtney, University of Washington; Amy Dworsky, Chapin Hall Center for Children; and Clark M. Peters, Chapin Hall Center for Children
Professor Mark Courtney is a national leader in the investigation of the experiences of older youth in foster care and their transition into young adulthood. His landmark study, the Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (known as the Midwest Study) is the only study in existence that follows foster youth through their transition and compares the outcomes of those who exit foster care at age 18 with those who exit at age 21. Professor Courtney has been widely recognized for his scholarship in this area and provided Congressional testimony for hearings related to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. To read the full report, please visit www.cafosteringconnections.org/research.html
HR2669 The College Cost Reduction and Access Act
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act, signed by President George W. Bush on September 27, 2007, includes an amendment that makes college more financially accessible for youth who were in foster care. Effective on Oct. 1, 2007, under this new law, youth adopted from the foster care system after their 13th birthday will not have to include their parents' income in the calculations for determining their need for financial aid. This critical amendment in the Act benefits youth adopted after age 13 who spent any time in foster care to have their financial aid eligibility be determined solely by the student’s ability to pay, regardless of his or her adoptive family’s income level. Learn more about HR 2669.
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