AB 1011

This bill permits a child to remain in a foster home, group home, or residential

care center for children and youth, in the home of a relative, or in a supervised

independent living arrangement (out-of-home care) until the child attains 21 years

of age if the child 1) is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or

technical equivalent and is reasonably expected to complete the program before

reaching 21 years of age; 2) is enrolled in an institution that provides postsecondary

or vocational education; 3) is participating in a program or activity designed to

promote, or remove barriers to, employment; 4) is employed for at least 80 hours per

month; or 5) is incapable of doing any of those activities due to a medical condition,

which incapacity is supported by regularly updated information in the child's

permanency plan. The bill also permits a relative, guardian, or adoptive parent of

such a child to continue receiving kinship care payments, subsidized guardianship

payments, or adoption assistance for the care and maintenance of such a child until

the child attains 21 years of age.

Under current law, the federal Department of Health and Human Services

provides foster care and adoption assistance under Title IV-E of the Social Security

Act for the care of persons under 18 years of age and, at the option of a state, for

persons under 19, 20, or 21 years of age, as a state may elect, who are 1) completing

secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential; 2) enrolled in

an institution that provides postsecondary or vocational education; 3) participating

in a program or activity designed to promote, or remove barriers to, employment; 4)

employed for at least 80 hours per month; or 5) incapable of doing any of those

activities due to a medical condition, which incapacity is supported by regularly

updated information in the child's case plan. Currently, this state permits a person

to remain in out-of-home care until he or she has attained 19 years of age, if he or

she is is a full-time student at a secondary school or its vocational or technical

equivalent and is reasonably expected to complete the program before reaching 19

years of age, and permits a person to remain in out-of-home care until he or she has

attained 21 years of age, if he or she is a full-time student at a secondary school or

its vocational or technical equivalent and if an individualized education program,

which is a program under which special education and related services are provided

to a person with a disability, is in effect for the person.