Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens and Coalition Detail Six New Bills to Overhaul Support for California’s Foster Kids

SACRAMENTO - Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-Silicon Valley) stood with former foster kids, families, advocates, workers, and foster youth serving organizations in Sacramento today to announce a package of six new Assembly bills to expand support for 60,000 foster youth and their families throughout California.

Assemblymember Ahrens shared, "I am deeply proud to introduce this package of legislation that, if becoming law, will prevent homelessness and hunger, promote K-12 and higher education student success, and improve life outcomes for California's innocent and vulnerable foster kids. As someone who has personally faced homelessness, hunger, and needed to rely on state support growing up, I am living proof of the importance of these supports to help some of California's most vulnerable kids create a successful future and positively contribute to society."

Assembly Bill (AB) 2764, sponsored by the California Alliance of Children and Family Services and supported by John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) and California Youth Connection (CYC), creates uniform eligibility standards for Extended Foster Care programs statewide, protecting housing for foster youth and preventing homelessness.

Adrienne Shilton, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Strategy for California Alliance of Children and Family Services said, "One in four foster youth become homeless after age 18, but it doesn't have to be that way: we know extended foster care support reduces the probability of homelessness by as much as 80% compared to peers. AB 2764 ensures foster youth are not denied transitional housing due to stricter education and work requirements than required by state law."

AB 2765, co-sponsored by End Child Poverty in California, increases state-level food assistance to offset federal cuts in H.R. 1 and directs the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to seek federal waivers and maximize exemptions to protect foster youth and families from hunger.

Yesenia Robancho, Associate Director of Policy & Strategy at End Child Poverty in California shared, "AB 2765 would protect some of California's most vulnerable from the cruel cuts implemented in last year's cruel federal budget, H.R. 1, by expanding state-level food assistance and making sure California uses every available tool to prevent hunger amongst foster kids. We are deeply thankful for Assemblymember Ahrens compassion and leadership standing up for vulnerable California kids and families."

AB 2766, sponsored by John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), expands priority housing for foster youth and homeless students attending California's Community Colleges and aligns housing deposits and fee payment timelines for all higher education systems with financial aid disbursements to address and avoid student homelessness, and ensures priority registration for foster youth to support student success.

Sarah Pauter, Executive Director for John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) shared, "AB 2766 addresses barriers created by systems that were not designed with foster youth and homeless students in mind. It fixes practical breakdowns related to housing access, deposit timing, and course enrollment that too often derail students before they ever step on campus."

Izel Casillas, a JBAY Youth Advocate and former foster kid who benefited from priority housing while attending a University of California (UC) campus shared, "Priority housing at UC Davis helped me thrive in college by giving me stability and peace of mind. Knowing that I would have a safe place to live allowed me to focus on my academic and personal goals instead of worrying about where I would stay."

AB 2767, sponsored by Youth Law Center, creates a statewide standard requiring the Family Finding process to begin as early as possible when a child is removed from a parent's custody and to help place children with relatives to improve life outcomes for foster kids.

Chantel Johnson, a relative caregiver shared, "I know how devastating it is to learn that a child was removed and no one reached out. AB 2767 ensures California's foster children have a real chance to be placed with family before unnecessary trauma compounds."

AB 2768, sponsored by the Office of Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, requires higher education institutions receiving state financial aid to defer unpaid enrollment fees and other costs for foster youth until financial aid is disbursed to prevent homelessness, and improve higher education student success and outcomes.

Dr. Edwin Gomez, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools said, "Deferring higher education fees for foster youth removes immediate financial barriers to college enrollment. This measure increases access to postsecondary options and ensures that foster youth are not excluded from opportunity due to circumstances beyond their control. AB 2768 is our commitment to a more successful transition into higher education for some of our most vulnerable students."

The final bill in the legislative package is AB 2769, sponsored by the Alliance for Children's Rights, which 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.

"AB 2769 honors the commitment families make when they adopt former foster youth with significant needs; ensuring that no young person loses critical support just months before achieving their educational goals," said Kristin Power, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for the Alliance for Children's Rights. "We appreciate Assemblymember Ahrens' stalwart leadership supporting children and youth in foster care."

Josh Selo, the CEO of the Bill Wilson Center, shared: "Our vision is a community where everyone lives with dignity and has access to safe, affordable housing. As the primary safety net for nearly 5,000 youth and families in Santa Clara County annually, Bill Wilson Center sees the unique daily struggles youth face as they navigate a higher education system that often fails to account for their lived experience. For a student aging out of care, the transition to college should be a bridge to independence, not a precarious tightrope over homelessness. We are proud to endorse Assemblymember Ahren's efforts to prioritize the needs of current and former foster youth and students experiencing homelessness, moving us one step closer to a community where a student's academic potential is never limited by their transition out of the foster care system." The Bill Wilson Center has been providing services to runaway and homeless youth in Santa Clara County since 1973.

Assembly bills 2764, 2765, 2766, 2767, 2768, and 2769 are awaiting referral by the Assembly Rules Committee to policy committees.

###

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.