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Introduction to After 18California Fostering Connections

to Success

What does After 18 mean to YOU?

Version 2.0, November 28, 2012

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ABCs of After 18: Extended Foster Care

• Signed in to law September 30, 2010

• Begins January 1, 2012

• Extends foster care – to age 19 in 2012 – and then age 20 in 2013 – and then hopefully to age 21 in 2014 if the

legislature votes to give it funds

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Why extend foster care?

18 is too young for some emerging adults to be self-sufficient.

Extending foster care gives youth who want it some additional

support.

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How will extended foster care benefit you?

• More time to find a permanent connection to an adult figure

• More time to prepare you for adulthood

• Helping with school, work and a place to live

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What do you need to do?

• Decide whether or not you want to stay in foster care

• If you leave foster care, you may decide to come back into foster care (we will talk later about who is able to)

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What do you need to do?

• Sign a mutual agreement

• Work with the social worker or probation officer to meet the goals of your case plan and the Transitional Independent Living Case Plan (TILP)

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Be doing one or more of the following:

• Be in high school or a similar program • Attend college, community college or a

vocational education program • Work at least 80 hours a month • Participate in a program to remove

barriers to employment • Be unable to do one of the above

because of a medical condition

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Where will I live?

• With a relative or non-related extended family member, foster family home, or home of your legal guardian

• Group home placement (until age 19)• THP – Plus Foster Care • THPP (if you are in THPP at age 18,

you can stay until age 19)

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Or…

• Supervised Independent Living Setting Such as:

–An apartment–Room and board arrangements–College dorms–Shared roommate

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Will I still go to Court?

YES!• You will be assigned an attorney and will

go to court every 6 months• You can attend court by phone if you are

far away• Your social worker or probation officer will

write a report that talks about your progress toward your goals

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How will I meet my goals?

• You will create a Transitional Independent Living Plan (TILP) with your social worker or probation officer

• You will talk about how you can meet your goals

• ILSP will help with classes and workshops!

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Why wouldn’t I stay in foster care?

• You don’t want to be a dependant or ward of the court

• You don’t want to stay in a foster placement that has to be approved by your social worker or probation officer

• You don’t want to have a social worker or probation officer or anyone in your business!!

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Why would I want to stay in foster care?

• Youth ages 18-21 need, deserve and are entitled to the extra support that extended foster care can provide

• Everybody needs a safety net!

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Who can return to foster care?

You can re-enter any time if you sign a voluntary agreement, enter foster care and meet one of the five eligibility criteria.

It’s that easy!

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Questions???