New Beginnings Supportive Services

AB 12
AB12, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act will allow California to take advantage of new federal options to extend foster care to age 21 and provide federal matching funds for Kinship-Guardianship placements. AB 12 makes substantial improvements to the state’s foster care system, helping ensure a safe and stable young adulthood for some of our most vulnerable young people. The passage of AB 12 would be a great success for foster youth and their advocates, and research proves that youth who are allowed to remain in care have better outcomes as adults and are less costly for the state.

Once passed, however, issues may arise for those youth who are legal adults but remain in a system designed to protect children. Once youth turn 18, they legally become adults—but with the passage of AB 12, may opt to remain in care in the child welfare system. Currently, some counties, like San Francisco, regularly keep youth in care past their 18th birthday but do so only with county dollars. The courts and public agencies in these counties have recognized that some youth may need more time to prepare before they emancipate. However, there is no definitive set of laws that addresses the special issues that arise for legal adults who remain in a system for children.