Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today introduced the Foster Care Continuing Opportunities Act, legislation that would provide federal funding to States to continue providing essential foster care services such as food, housing, and legal services to youth over the age of 18, which are currently inaccessible to young adults aging out of foster care.

Boxer said, “This legislation would help improve the services for foster care youth so that they can better transition from childhood to adulthood. The future for foster youth, once emancipated, is often bleak. In my state of California, about 65 percent of emancipated youth are homeless, less than three percent go to college, and 51 percent are unemployed. We must do more for these young adults who deserve much better, and there is no better time to do it than during Foster Care Month.”

A small number of states (Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut, and Florida) allow youth to voluntarily remain in foster care up to age 19, 20, or 21, but these payments for foster youth beyond age 18 must be paid with state or local funding.

Boxer’s legislation would:

• Allow states to access federal funding to match state and county funds to provide foster care payments and related administrative costs for foster youth 18 to 21, in the same fashion as youth under age 18.
• Allow states the option to offer foster care services for older youth.
• Allow youth to voluntarily elect to remain in foster care after the age of 18.

According to the Child Welfare League of America, approximately 23,000 foster youth are emancipated each year – many of whom lack the resources and assistance necessary to transition to adulthood. In California, approximately 4,200 foster youth who turn 18 are emancipated each year from California. This bill would seek to provide better care for these underserved youth.