House OKs Bill to Help Transition of Foster Care Children to Adulthood

The House overwhelmingly approved an aid package Friday aimed at helping older children in foster care make a smoother transition to adulthood and self-support.

The bill would double federal funding for programs designed to ready these children for independence as they near the age of 18, when foster care assistance ends. The bill also would allow states to extend Medicaid coverage to foster care children up to the age of 21. (In California, such coverage already is provided.)

“Many of these kids have suffered more hard knocks in their lives than any of us ever will,” said Rep. Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.), a sponsor of the legislation. “But they have skills and abilities. They have dreams and hope. They not only deserve our support, . . . they are a good investment.”

Nationally, about 20,000 foster children reach 18 every year without an adoptive family or other permanent relationship. At that point, payments to foster parents and most other means of support end, and many foster kids find themselves homeless and ill-prepared to support themselves.

Two-thirds don’t finish high school, and 61% have no job skills, according to federal officials. About 38% are diagnosed as emotionally disturbed, Johnson said. Studies have shown that a quarter of such young adults spend at least some time homeless within two years of leaving the system, a third go on welfare within 18 months and one-quarter of young men are imprisoned within 12 to 18 months of turning 18.

The new funds earmarked by the House--and expected to win approval in the Senate soon--would boost the existing Independent Living Program from a current rate of $70 million a year to $140 million.

The measure was approved, 380 to 6.

The bill would let states use some of the federal funds to help current and former foster children pay for their own housing. It also would grant states the flexibility to use the money to help foster children up to the age of 21--an extension beyond the 18-year-old limit in place now.

Between this year and next, about 9,500 California children are expected to turn 18 and “age out” of the foster care system. California, using $11.4 million in state funds this year, recently granted counties the ability to extend state-funded support for foster children up to the age of 21.

In Los Angeles County, where as many as 1,000 young adults mature out of the foster care system yearly, special federal grants already help a small number of teens with temporary housing, food and transportation.

By allowing the use of government funds for such purposes, the measure likely would allow expansion of existing efforts, which appear to reach no more than a quarter of foster children in their late teens.

“We have expanded our program and expanded funding before the feds have taken any action,” said Sidonie Squier of the California Department of Social Services. “But there are eligible kids out there not being served. We’re making efforts, but this [passage of the House bill] is news to us, and it is very, very welcome.”

In Los Angeles, a privately funded program called Bridges to Independence currently helps about 200 foster youths from 18 to 21 years of age with independent-living classes, job training and some transitional housing. Ginny Diaz, director of the Bridges program’s career center, said that, in addition to shelter, older teens in foster care tend to need guidance and coaching in “simple day-to-day stuff: how to go grocery shopping, how to allocate money for bills, realizing that they have to pay for things like health insurance.”

Some of those challenges, said Diaz, “are just part of being 18.” But others arise from lives marked both by instability and close supervision in the foster care system.

The handful of lawmakers voting against the bill were Republican Reps. Chris Cannon of Utah, Helen Chenoweth of Idaho, Tom A. Coburn of Oklahoma, Joel Hefley of Colorado, John N. Hostettler of Indiana and Ron Paul of Texas.