New Legislation Proposes to Expand Eligibility to CalKIDS College Savings Accounts for Youth in Foster Care 

Assembly Bill (AB) 2508, authored by Assemblymember McCarty and sponsored by JBAY, proposes to expand eligibility to California’s CalKIDS college savings account program so that all foster youth in grades first through twelve will be eligible to receive an additional $500 deposit in their college savings account. Currently, only students who are in the foster care system during the first grade are eligible to receive this additional payment. 

CalKIDS is a California state program that helps children save for college or career training after high school. Research shows that even with savings of less than $500, a child is 25% more likely to enroll in college and 64% more likely to graduate than a child with no savings. Children born in California on or after July 1, 2022 are awarded a CalKIDS college savings account with an initial deposit of $100. First graders who are identified as low-income receive an additional $500, and first graders who are foster youth or homeless receive an additional $500 augmentation in their account. However, approximately 46% of all foster youth enter the system after the age of 6, leaving nearly half ineligible for this additional funding. To learn more about CalKIDS or register an account, click here. To learn more about AB 2508, visit here.

Attend Thursday March 14 Hearing to Oppose Proposed Elimination of Housing Navigation & Maintenance Program for Former Foster Youth

John Burton Advocates for Youth is seeking attendees at an upcoming hearing where the Governor’s proposed elimination of the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program will be considered. On Thursday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. or upon session adjournment, the State Senate Budget Subcommittee 4 on State Administration and General Government will hold a hearing at the State Capitol in room 113 on the topic “homelessness spending status update, assessment, and budgetary considerations.”

The $13.7 million state-funded Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program helps leverage $22 million in federal housing assistance for former foster youth, playing a critical role as the only state funding available to serve the more than 1,300 youth with Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Housing Choice Vouchers in California. These services help ensure youth can secure housing with their voucher and maintain stability while in housing. These services are also federally required, and without their availability, vouchers cannot be requested.   

If you or someone from your organization, including young people, are able to attend the hearing and provide public comment in defense of the Housing Navigation & Maintenance Program, e-mail Simone Tureck Lee at simone@jbay.org. John Burton Advocates for Youth and a coalition of over 100 organizations and public agencies oppose this proposed cut. View the coalition’s letter to the Governor here, and sign onto the letter here for organizations and here for young adults. For more information about proposed cuts to foster youth housing programs, visit here. 

New Report Finds TAY Earn Up to $3,419 Less in Annual Income 

Transition-age youth (TAY) are employed at significantly lower rates than youth in the general population, according to a new report from the University of California-Berkeley.  

The report, “Employment and Earnings Outcomes Among Transition Age Youth in Care” also found that TAY earn substantially less income ($2,149-$3,419, depending on age) than the general population and may experience gender and racial disparities in employment and earnings outcome. To mitigate these challenges, the report recommends building capacity to provide relevant employment services in intensive case management programs staffed by specialized caseworkers who meet with TAY frequently. According to the research, policymakers should consider extending basic financial support for extended foster care past age 21, and service providers must ensure that Black, Native American, and female youth receive the necessary support to overcome systemic barriers to equitable wages.  

The report was published by the Transition-Age Youth Research and Evaluation Hub (TAY-Hub), a research collaborative housed in the California Child Welfare Indicators Project at UC-Berkeley. Data was derived from CalYOUTH survey and study reports, The California Child Welfare Indicators Project, and the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

Foster Youth Educational Planning Guides Now Available

John Burton Advocates for Youth has produced newly revised, comprehensive postsecondary education planning guides to support youth with experience in foster care in achieving their educational and career goals. The guides, which include versions for adult supporters of youth in middle and high school as well as a version for youth in high school, provide detailed information, checklists, and strategies to equip foster youth with what’s needed to graduate high school and prepare for all forms of postsecondary education. All guides are available in English and Spanish and are available through free download or by ordering hard copies. 

New York’s Foster Youth College Success Initiative Finds Promising Outcomes for Foster Youth Students

The Rockefeller Institute of Government at State University New York (SUNY) released a report exploring outcomes for New York state’s Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI). The initiative, launched in 2015, provides financial assistance to former foster youth to cover costs of higher education, including non-tuition expenses like housing and transportation. Since the initiative’s launch, the number of students receiving FYCSI has grown, cumulatively serving over 2,000 former foster youth with an average award of $4,254. 

The report finds that students who received FYCSI funds were more likely to re-enroll after their first year compared to other low-income and underrepresented SUNY students. Additionally, FYCSI recipients were more likely to graduate with an associate degree compared to their foster care peers who did not receive FYCSI funds. For students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, FYCSI awardees had lower degree achievement at four years compared to their peers but gained a slight increase in bachelor’s degree achievement over their peers at six years. To read the full report, click here. 

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.)

LEARN MORE

ABOUT JBAY