25 State Assemblymembers Sign Letter Opposing Elimination of Foster Youth Housing Support Programs

On Friday, March 8, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), along with a bipartisan group of 24 fellow assemblymembers submitted a letter to Assembly Budget Subcommittee chairs opposing the Governor’s proposed elimination of two key foster youth housing support programs: The $13.7 million Housing Navigation & Maintenance Program and the $18.8 million Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP) Housing Supplement.

The Housing Navigation & Maintenance Program currently supports more than 1,300 former foster youth and is the only source of funding county child welfare agencies have for services they are required to offer youth with special population federal Housing Choice Vouchers. This state funding has contributed to a 54% increase in the number of vouchers for California youth and helps the state access $22 million in federal housing assistance.

The SILP Housing Supplement was established in 2023, due to take effect in 2025. It will provide the more than 3,000 non-minor dependents placed in SILPs with additional funding to pay their rent, based on local housing costs. Research shows that nearly 1 in 5 youth experience homelessness while in foster care as nonminors.

While foster care rates are proposed for increase in next year’s budget, the proposed SILP increase to $1,788/month is not nearly enough for 80% of youth placed in SILPs and would not take into consideration the local cost of housing, which varies drastically across counties.

A number of articles have appeared in the media on these proposed eliminations. A statewide coalition has stepped up in partnership with Assemblymember Ting in defense of these programs. Learn more here.

Join JBAY's Capitol Reception: Honoring Senator John Burton and 20 Years of Youth Advocacy

John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) invites you to attend a Capitol Reception on Tuesday, April 23 at the California Museum in Sacramento. The reception will honor California State Senator John Burton (Ret.) and celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of John Burton Advocates for Youth, the nonprofit organization he founded to improve the lives of youth who have been in foster care or experienced homeless in California.

Featured speakers will include Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalaki, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate Pro tem Emeritus Toni Atkins, Senator Tom Umberg and Senator Angelique Ashby. To purchase a ticket or learn about sponsorship opportunities, follow this link.

Funds raised at the event will support JBAY’s Critical Needs and Opportunity Fund, which provides financial assistance to youth who have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. Last year, the program assisted over 1,600 young people across California when they needed it most.  

CDSS Releases Permanent Foster Care Rates Proposal

The California Department of Social Services has released information about its permanent foster care rates proposal. This rate structure follows an interim rate structure that was created as part of the Continuum of Care Reform.

According to a summary provided by CDSS, the goal of the new structure is to, “restructure our rates so that they are based on the child’s assessed level of needs and strengths, and not based on the placement type.” In place of the current rate structure, it proposes a new, higher rate for the care and supervision of the child or youth in foster care with additional funding available based on the “tier” in which the youth is placed using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Tool (CANS).

CDSS has convened three stakeholder groups to collect additional input about the permanent foster care rates proposal and also released trailer bill language for the proposal. To learn more, visit the CDSS website that includes all related information about the permanent foster care rates proposal, including a recording of a March 12 webinar.

U.S. Education Department Announces Changes to 2024-25 FAFSA Processing

Yesterday, the U.S. Education Department announced that over 4.3 million submissions of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have been processed to date and that the current backlog of submissions will be cleared by the end of March. Once a student's FAFSA has been processed, they will receive notification via email. This confirmation normally happens within a couple weeks of submission, but with the roll out of a new FAFSA this year, the process has been plagued by delays. The announcement also shared that students will be able to make corrections to their FAFSA during the first half of April. It is anticipated that paper FAFSA forms will not be fully processed until after all electronic FAFSAs have been processed.

To assist students, caregivers, and adult supporters with FAFSA completion, StudentAidPolicy.com has released two new Tip Sheets on creating and using an FSA ID and fixing FSA ID and FAFSA problems. All students and other contributors (spouses and parents) must create an FSA ID in order to submit a FAFSA. Applicants who continue to experience issues submitting an application should contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center. 

Free Tax-Filing Resource Available for Los Angeles County NextUp Programs

JBAY last week hosted a webinar in partnership with the Economic Security Project, encouraging NextUp program staff in Los Angeles County to use the Claim Your Cash Call Center Hotline to connect students with free tax-filing resources. Students participating in NextUp programs are eligible for the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC), worth up to $1,117. Last year, just 6% of foster youth in LA County claimed the FYTC.

The Economic Security Project has partnered with Los Angeles County and the Koreatown Youth and Community Center to launch the Claim Your Cash pilot program in Los Angeles, educating Angelenos about tax credits and helping individuals make free appointments with a local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) center. NextUp staff can use the pilot program’s free hotline (888-844-3276) or visit this website to schedule a free VITA appointment for their students.

Students are encouraged to review JBAY’s free Tax Prep Checklist to gather necessary information and materials before their VITA appointment. You can learn more about the FYTC here. 

Upcoming Webinars, Training, and Events

• Coalition to Protect Foster Youth in the State Budget
• Celebrate JBAY's 20th Anniversary and California State Senator John L. Burton (Ret.)
• 2024 Blueprint For Success Conference

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