Some young people who have relied on extended foster care, however – by virtue of their birthdates – will lose out on the support approved this week.
Former foster youth who turned 21 between the declaration of the state of emergency – on March 4 – and the governor’s April 17 executive order not receive benefits after this month, when the governor’s executive order expires.
Advocates are calling on counties to use local funds to maintain benefits to the approximately 200 21-year-olds affected by this gap in funding.
“It’s small in numbers and it’s small in calendar days,” said Leslie Heimov, executive director of the Children’s Law Center of California, which represents 33,000 children and young adults in foster care in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Placer counties. “But it’s not small to that young person or new parent who’s looking at becoming homeless in less than a week.”