Bill would allow older foster youth to continue services

State wards who have aged out of the foster care system could voluntarily continue to receive services until age 21 under a bill heard Feb. 2 by the Health and Human Services Committee.

LB1150, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Amanda McGill, would allow eligible youth to enter into a voluntary foster care agreement with the state Department of Health and Human Services for extended services, including:
• Medicaid;
• postsecondary education assistance;
• continued guardianship or adoption assistance payments;
• placement in a foster home, institution or independent living; and
• continued case management to help access additional supports.

To qualify for the program, an applicant would need to be:
• employed for at least 80 hours per month;
• enrolled in an institution that provides postsecondary or vocational education;
• completing a secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential;
• participating in a program or activity designed to promote or remove barriers to employment; or
• incapable of doing any of the above activities due to a medical condition.

McGill said research shows that youth who continue to receive services until age 21 have improved chances of success when they transition from foster care. As a result, she said, an increasing number of states are allowing youth to retain services or return to foster care after they reach the age of majority.

Currently, youth age out of the foster care system at 19, which is the state’s age of majority. McGill said the transition period from 19 to 21 can be very difficult for young people to navigate without assistance.

“Most of us were fortunate enough to have parents helping us in our early 20s,” she said.

Nadia Draper testified in favor of the bill. Adopted from Russia at age 12, she entered the foster care system at 17 and aged out at 19, she said.

Draper said she shuttled between homes, staying with friends and a youth pastor as she struggled to find stability after leaving the system. She received some monetary assistance as a former ward, she said, but would have benefitted from having a caseworker to help her make decisions.

Ashley Gustafson also supported the bill, saying she aged out of the Missouri foster care system at age 21 and benefited from the additional years of assistance.

Gustafson said she had the same caseworker throughout her time in foster care and was able to transition smoothly to adulthood as a result. After graduating from college, she moved to Nebraska and now works with former state wards, she said.

“Foster care wasn’t easy,” Gustafson said. “But it truly saved my life. What foster care gave me was structure, support and hope.”

Sarah Forrest of Voices for Children in Nebraska also testified in favor of the bill. The adolescent brain continues developing until age 25, she said, and extending support for states wards would assist with that development. Young people leaving foster care often lack the skills necessary to successfully enter adulthood, she said.

“We know that outcomes for youth aging out can be dismal,” Forrest said.

No opposition testimony was given and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.