Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. The focus of our action this week is ensuring that children in the foster care system get the full benefit of their survivor’s and/or disability benefits. With this bill, California will join a national movement of states ending the archaic practice of recouping the costs of a child’s time in foster care by collecting those benefits.
Background: Child Welfare Services (CWS). California’s CWS system exists to protect children from abuse and neglect, and in doing so, provides for their health, safety, and overall well-being. When suspicions of abuse or neglect arise, often as a result of a report by a mandated reporter like a doctor or teacher, Child Protective Services is tasked with investigating the report. If the allegation of abuse or neglect is substantiated, it is then determined whether it is in the best interest of the child to remain in their parent’s custody or be placed within the CWS system. If a child is suspected to be at risk of neglect, abuse, or abandonment, the juvenile court holds legal jurisdiction, and the CWS system appoints a social worker to ensure that the needs of a youth are met.
The California Department of Social Services secures federal funding to support child welfare services programs, provides statewide best practices training for social workers, and conducts program regulatory oversight and administration, and is responsible for the development of policy while also providing direct services such as adoption placements. Foster parents receive a monthly payment to meet the needs of the youth placed in their care and is intended to cover food, clothing, transportation, and vary based on the child, their age and any special needs they may have.
Agencies have been recouping the costs of a child’s time in foster care through collecting their survivor’s and/or disability benefits. However, these agencies fail to notify the youth, their loved ones, and their attorneys that they are doing so. Instead, they apply to be representative payees for the youth and use the funds to reimburse themselves for the costs of the child’s care—despite federal law explicitly placing the financial responsibility of care on foster care agencies.
In 2021 the Department of Child and Family Services in Los Angeles County (DCFS) collected about $5.4 million in revenue through this practice. While this $5.4 million accounts for only 0.18% of DCFS’s budget, for youth with disabilities or youth who have lost a parent, this money could be the difference between going to college or going to prison. This bill will require counties to instead use this money for the best interest of the youth and/or conserve the funds for the youth to access when they have aged out of the system.
Please sign a letter to your member of the California State Senate supporting the passage of the Foster Care Payments Act (AB1512).
Options to Take Action:
- Sign a letter at the Action Table on Sunday.
- Download, sign and mail an action letter to your CA State Senator.
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If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.
Take Action
Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. The focus of our action this week is ensuring that children in the foster care system get the full benefit of their survivor’s and/or disability benefits. With this bill, California will join a national movement of states ending the archaic practice of recouping the costs of a child’s time in foster care by collecting those benefits.