JBAY Raises Concerns that Proposed Foster Care Rate Structure Would Fail to Meet Needs of Older Foster Youth

John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) has submitted a memo to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) regarding the new permanent foster care rate structure. JBAY’s primary concerns are that the proposed rate structure fails to meet the unique needs of older youth in foster care and those not placed in family settings.

The first concern raised in the memo is the proposed structure’s elimination of the Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP) Housing Supplement. The Housing Supplement increases the monthly SILP payment youth receive directly starting in 2025, based on the local cost of housing. According to the memo, the increased SILP rate of $1,788 is not adequate to afford housing, along with all other expenses youth incur as the head of household, including transportation, utilities, food, school-related costs and other personal supplies.

The second concern raised is the shift away from the current level of support available to parenting foster youth. Under California’s current rate structure, foster youth who are custodial parents are automatically eligible for Intensive Services Foster Care, the highest level of care. According to the memo, under the new proposed structure, parenting foster youth would be treated like every other foster youth. For parenting youth in SILPs, this means they would be categorically placed in the lowest tier the structure establishes, making them ineligible for any “Immediate Needs” support.    

Finally, the memo raises concerns about the absence of education, particularly post-secondary. The proposed structure establishes “Strengths Building” funding available to each foster youth via a spending plan manager who purchases goods and services for that youth that contribute to overall well-being, with an emphasis on being family-centered and permanency-focused. The memo questions the applicability of and access to this funding for education-related activities and activities that support the transition to adulthood for nonminor dependents.

To join the final workgroup meetings CDSS is convening to provide feedback on the rate structure, visit CDSS’ webpage on the proposal for instructions and who to email.

Family and Youth Services Bureau Issues Comprehensive FAQ on Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs 

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) has issued a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions publication which provides a range of information about the programs it administers for runaway and homeless youth, which include the Basic Center Program, the Transitional Living Program/Maternity Group Home Program and the Street Outreach Program. 

The FAQ provides information about age eligibility for each program, along with documentation requirements for contracted providers. It provides definitions for a range of topics, such as respite care, home-based services, prevention and aftercare. It addresses applied topics, such as how to proceed if a youth refuses to disclose information about their parent or legal guardian or whether a youth may be court ordered to participate in FYSB-funded services. 

Several questions address the intersection of FYSB-funded programs with the child welfare system. According to the FAQ, if child welfare has taken custody of the youth, then RHY program funding cannot be used to provide services to the youth. The publication also provides best practices for establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with child welfare personnel to meet the needs of RHY. Follow this link to read all 104 answered questions.  

iFoster Continues to Recruit for its Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot, with a Focus on Rural Counties.

iFoster is continuing to recruit participants for its Guaranteed Basic Income pilot. According to iFoster, there are a total of 150 remaining slots in specific counties. These counties include Kern, Monterey, Madera and Imperial, together with smaller rural counties. These include Mendocino, Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Tehama, Tuolumne and Yuba.

To be eligible for the program, youth must be a California resident in extended foster care with a birth date between Nov. 14, 2002 and July 31, 2003. Youth may not receive guaranteed income from another program and their yearly income cannot exceed the Family Needs Calculator income for a 2 adult/ 2 children household for your county of residence.

Youth applications deemed eligible by CDSS are sent to Urban Institute, the pilot research team, to be randomized. Youth applicants will be randomly assigned to either the Participant group or the Control group. The Participant group will receive the monthly GI payment of $750 a month for 18 months. To learn more, follow this link. To apply, follow this link. 

Upcoming Webinar to Explore the Value of a Degree for Low- and Moderate-Income Students

On Thursday, May 9 at 11:00 am PST, the College Futures Foundation will host a webinar, “Golden Opportunities: Measuring Return on Investment in California Higher Education for Low- and Moderate-income Learners.” The webinar will highlight a first-of-its-kind analysis comparing out-of-pocket costs for a degree with the earnings of low- and moderate-income undergraduate students across California’s postsecondary institutions.

Conducted by the HEA Group, a national research and consulting agency focused on college access and success, the analysis examines how long it takes for students to recoup their educational costs after attending a higher education program. For more information or to register, click here. 

Upcoming Webinars, Training, and Events

• Coalition to Protect Foster Youth in the State Budget
• Celebrate JBAY's 20th Anniversary
• Turning Dreams into Degrees: 2024 Updates
• A Toolkit for Implementing AB 789
• 2024 Blueprint For Success Conference

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