Support California Foster Kids Bill Package Passes Assembly Policy Committees

SACRAMENTO - All six bills authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-Silicon Valley) in his Support California Foster Kids Bill Package introduced two months ago today to expand supports for foster youth and their families passed Assembly policy committees this week.

Assemblymember Ahrens shared, "As someone who personally faced homelessness, hunger, and relied on state support growing up, I am living proof of the importance of these supports. I am so thankful to my colleagues for advancing these policy solutions to support California's vulnerable foster kids. These solutions will help to minimize trauma and break the cycle of poverty so these young people can live up to their fullest potential."

The six bills in the package, supported and sponsored by former foster kids, families, advocates, workers, and foster youth serving organizations, seek to extend supports to prevent homelessness and hunger, promote student success, and improve outcomes for California's 60,000 foster youth.

AB 2764 creates uniform eligibility standards for Extended Foster Care programs statewide, protecting housing for foster youth and preventing homelessness.

AB 2765 increases state-level food assistance to offset federal cuts and directs the California Department of Social Services to seek federal waivers and maximize exemptions to protect foster youth and families from hunger.

AB 2766 expands priority housing for foster youth and homeless students while aligning housing deposits and fee payment timelines with financial aid disbursements to address and avoid student homelessness, in addition to ensuring priority registration for foster youth, to support student success.

AB 2767 creates a statewide standard to improve the Family Finding process and helps place children with relatives to improve life outcomes for foster kids.

AB 2768 requires higher education institutions to defer unpaid enrollment fees and other costs for foster youth until financial aid is disbursed to prevent homelessness and improve student success and outcomes.

AB 2769 expands California's Adoption Assistance Program support to families with foster kids in high school through their graduation, or up to the student turning 19 years old, to improve student success and outcomes.

Assembly bills 2764, 2765, 2766, 2767, and 2769 passed the Assembly Committee on Human Services today, and Assembly Bill (AB) 2768 passed the Assembly Committee on Higher Education on April 21st. All six bills are in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

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Assemblymember Patrick Ahrensrepresents the Silicon Valley in the California State Assembly for District 26. He serves on the Assembly Committees on Budget, Business and Professions, Health, Rules, Transportation, and Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services. Assemblymember Ahrens is the Co-Chair of the California Legislative Technology & Innovation Caucus, and a member of the California Legislative Jewish and Bay Area Caucuses.