Support Needed for Assembly Bill 2137 (Quirk-Silva) to Support Foster and Homeless Youths

Assembly Bill 2137 (Quirk-Silva), co-sponsored by JBAY and the National Center for Youth Law, has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Education, and letters of support are needed. The proposal seeks to increase the high school graduation and college matriculation rates of California’s nearly 250,000 K-12 students experiencing homelessness and the 46,000 in foster care. Research shows that only 72.9% of homeless youth and 61.4% of foster youth successfully complete high school within four years, compared to 87% of the general population.

AB 2137 includes three common-sense provisions that leverage existing funding to increase direct support for foster and homeless students, reduce gaps in financial aid application completion, and streamline communication and collaboration. Specifically, AB 2137 will expand the ability of Foster Youth Services Coordinating Programs (FYSCPs) to provide direct services, require districts to provide copies of foster youth students’ financial aid “opt-out” forms to the local FYSCP, and close loopholes in the Local Accountability Plan (LCAP) process to ensure the needs of homeless students are addressed. To download a letter of support template or to learn more about the bill, please click here. 

LA-Based Research Finds Extreme Rent Burden for Foster Youth in SILPs; the Solution is on the Chopping Block

A new publication by Good River Partners concluded that many Los Angeles County non-minor dependents (foster youth ages 18-20) in Supervised Independent Living Placements (SILPs) are experiencing increased rent burden at a disproportionate rate, according to administrative and rental market data and interviews.

In LA, the majority of youth in SILPs reside in Service Planning Area (SPA) 6 (South Los Angeles), which saw the greatest rental cost increases of any SPA in the county over the last five years (a 67% increase). In other words, a young person searching for rental housing in SPA 6 could expect to pay, on average, $911 more per month in 2023 than in 2018.

This phenomenon is not unique to Los Angeles—since 2012, the cost of housing has increased 95% in California’s 25 highest-cost counties. During this same time period, the SILP rate has increased 51%, currently at $1,206 statewide. Nearly 1 in 5 non-minor dependents in California experience homelessness during their time in care.

In 2023, California adopted an increase to the monthly SILP rate—the “SILP Housing Supplement,” which would take effect July 1, 2025, providing additional funding to foster youth in SILPs, based on local rental costs. In Los Angeles, this would mean a monthly increase to at least $2,000.

Just five months after its adoption, the SILP Housing Supplement was proposed for elimination in the Governor’s January budget proposal. A statewide coalition along with Assemblymember Phil Ting and several fellow members have stepped up in defense of this program, as well as the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program also slated for elimination. Learn more here.

Calling All LA County NextUp Programs: JBAY to Host Webinar on Tax-Filing Resource

Join JBAY and the Economic Security Project on Friday, March 22 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. for a webinar detailing how LA County-based NextUp programs can ensure students file their taxes for free and successfully claim the $1,117 Foster Youth Tax Credit. 

Last year, just 6% of foster youth in LA County received the Foster Youth Tax Credit, available to youth ages 18-25 who were in care on or after their 13^th birthday. NextUp campuses could play a valuable role in promoting the credit, as the eligibility for the new tax credit is identical to the eligibility for participation in NextUp.

At the training, attendees will learn about the Claim Your Cash Call Center Hotline (888-844-3276) established by LA County. This hotline provides free tax preparation and referrals to people who can provide high-quality tax filing assistance. Use of the hotline has previously been limited to county departments but is now being made available to NextUp campuses in LA County. To register, follow this link.

Georgetown Report Finds College Attainment is Increasingly Important in the U.S. Economy

A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce demonstrates that increased rates of college degree attainment has led to economic advantages and improved well-being for American adults. The report found that between 2010 and 2020, overall attainment of college degrees in the United States increased by 6.7%, corresponding to over $14 trillion in net lifetime earnings for workers. Additionally, the report shows that college degrees have become increasingly important, with the percentage of jobs requiring a college degree growing to nearly 50% in 2021. College degrees are also important for economic benefits; by 2020, 69% of jobs paying middle-class wages were held by workers with college degrees. Notably, in California, the overall gains in degree attainment at 5.89% fell below the national average of 6.73%.

The report also found, however, that these jobs and corresponding benefits are not available to all. Most marginalized racial/ethnic groups have lower degree attainment, particularly at the bachelor’s and graduate level, compared to white adults. The report also found that the greatest economic benefits are held with white men, who out-earn women and marginalized racial/ethnic groups at almost every degree level.

Based on these findings, the report suggests that to encourage greater economic mobility, more work is needed to improve access to higher education, expand pathways to high-earning jobs, and address issues of unequal pay. 

Upcoming Webinars, Training, and Events

• Coalition to Protect Foster Youth in the State Budget
• Save the Date - Celebrate JBAY's 20th Anniversary and California State Senator John L. Burton (Ret.)

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