Foster care gaps still exist despite success of AB 12
Nearly a decade ago, the AB 12 Extended Foster Care Program, co-authored by then-Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose, was put into effect in California. The goal of the program, which allows eligible youth to stay in foster care until age 21, was to provide these young people with the tools necessary to be self-sufficient and socially connected. This was a huge step in the right direction. But two questions remain: Has it been effective, and what gaps still exist?
According to the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study, Extended Foster Care has been beneficial in a range of ways, including positive outcomes in education, increased financial and food security, and decreased levels of homelessness. Notably, a significant number of youth are now enrolled in college by age 23, showing that a growing number of these young people now see continued education as a viable option — something that didn’t ring true a decade ago.
The progress is promising, but we are not nearly where we need to be. Although there is an increase in youth enrolling in college and completing some level of coursework, the numbers of those attaining a degree are still far too low. The same study found that 64% of foster youth in California have enrolled or completed some college by age 23, but only 12.6% of females and 8% of males attain a degree.
A few factors contribute to the discrepancy in college enrollment and graduation levels. At a high level, there’s a major gap in foster youth’s access to basic needs like housing, food and mental health services. Without the foundation of a core level of stability, how can we expect students to navigate something as complex as higher education?
We see this firsthand in the young adults from foster care we work with at Pivotal. Aleta is a perfect example of the impact that housing and mental health support can provide. Once she had a stable living situation and prioritized her mental health, Aleta was able to focus on her schoolwork and completed high school one year early with a 3.9 GPA. She went on to graduate from one of California’s top universities, UC San Diego, with a degree in sociology.
While implementing Extended Foster Care was a necessary start, we can’t rest on our laurels as we look toward the next decade. At the top level, we need strategic systemic alignment with multiple paths and options available. We need to implement more programs such as The Hub, Santa Clara County’s youth-led community resource center for current and former foster youth ages 15-25. And we must continue advocating for our foster youth. Community leaders such as the John Burton Advocates for Youth have been instrumental in creating and implementing a higher education package for foster youth, putting California far ahead of other states. California also recently became the first state to pass a Universal Basic Income program, piloted in Santa Clara County.
While we’ve seen significant progress in bridging the gap for foster youth across education, employment, housing, food and financial security and more, challenges still remain. We can’t let the magnitude of the issue prevent us from working collectively toward more change.
This work is not easy, but it is essential. We must remember that children are placed in foster care through no fault of their own. It’s our responsibility as a community to come together — organizations, stakeholders and individuals alike must rally together behind these youth and provide the support needed to beat the odds unfairly stacked against them. We can, and must, do more.