Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed historic legislation today to extend transitional foster care benefits to youths between 18 and 21 years of age, his office announced.
"Our foster care youth deserve every opportunity to succeed in life, and extending foster benefits and services through age 21 will help better equip them with the necessary tools," Schwarzenegger said.
He said he applauded efforts by Assembly members Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, and Jim Beall, D-San Jose, for "working across the aisle" to pass the Assembly Bill 12.
Bill supporters said investment in youths is wise because studies show that former foster youths are less likely to finish high school, attend college and get jobs and more likely to end up homeless and incarcerated.
Beall, who introduced the bill, said, "California has made a clear statement today: The lives of our foster care kids are important to all of us and we have a moral obligation to help them succeed."
"For generations," Beall said, "foster care youth faced being kicked out of their foster homes simply because they had turned 18 or graduated from high school. Without any means of support, they were left to wander the streets for shelter and food. Many had no choice but to return to the parents who had neglected or abused them."
The new bill paves the way for California to take advantage of federal funds for kinship guardians. California was one of the first states to establish the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment program to provide financial assistance for children placed under legal guardianship with a relative, Schwarzenegger noted.
The County Welfare Directors Association of California called the legislation "a monumental stride" to aid foster youth as they enter adulthood.
Each year, the group noted, approximately 4,500 foster youth "age out" of the foster care system at age 18.
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