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on Saturday, September 23, 2006
San Jose Mercury News
Better future for foster kids seen as governor signs bills
'HISTORIC' YEAR INCLUDED INCREASED STATE FUNDING
By Edwin Garcia
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed into law a package of bills intended to improve the lives of tens of thousands of youths in foster care, bringing accolades from social service advocates in Santa Clara County.
One of the measures will improve coordination of services among agencies and courts, and another will make it easier for foster kids to get in touch with siblings.
By signing eight measures, Schwarzenegger and lawmakers are on the cusp of ending what they referred to as a historic year of legislative accomplishments benefiting the state's 75,000 foster children. This year's state budget also includes more than $180 million for foster care and child welfare services, which is the most funding in recent years, legislators said.
''I tell ya, this is a great day; it's a great day of celebrating,'' Schwarzenegger told dozens of cheering advocates and legislative staff members at the Capitol rotunda.
''It is absolutely important that we're doing a better job for foster care youth and foster care kids in the future,'' Schwarzenegger said, ''because this state really hasn't done a great job.''
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Beall called the legislation a ''first step in the long road that we need to take to completely revamp the statewide foster care system.''
The executive director of the Bill Wilson Center, a San Jose organization that assists older youths' transition out of foster homes, said the legislation was long overdue.
''It's great to see them finally pass,'' Sparky Harlan said. ''Right now foster care seems to be the issue everyone's paying attention to.''
Santa Clara County has nearly 2,000 children assigned to foster homes.
Much of the credit for the accomplishments was given to Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care. Bass, a longtime champion for foster care children, convened hearings that drew hundreds of advocates who urged the state to adopt reforms. She also enlisted the help of celebrities including Jane Seymour, Kurtwood Smith and R&D artist Kashif.
The bills signed Friday are:
• AB 2216 by Bass, which will create the California Child Welfare Council within the Health and Human Services Agency, which increases collaboration and coordination of child welfare services.
• AB 1979 by Bass, which eliminates fees for criminal background checks of adults who want to volunteer as mentors to foster kids.
• AB 2195 by Bass, which makes it easier to place youth with relatives.
• AB 2488 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, which will provide intermediaries for foster children to contact siblings.
• AB 2985, by Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, which protects youth in foster care from being victims of identify theft.
• SB 1641 by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Pomona, which seeks to place youths in home environments ''that resemble as closely as possible non-foster care families.''
• AB 2480 by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, which gives children and youths access to attorneys during dependency proceedings at the appellate level.
• SB 1667 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, which allows foster parents better access to providing their input and recommendations in court.
''We believe we've made great strides this year and have very significant legislation,'' Bass said. ''And the items that went into the budget will really directly improve the quality of life for California's most vulnerable children.''
Two youths who were formerly in foster care stood with Schwarzenegger in praise of the legislation. One was Maggie Tuazon of Hayward, who during a 3 1/2-year span lived in eight group homes and three foster homes.
''I felt like no one wanted me and no one could support me and my needs,'' said Tuazon, 19, who credits a mentor with helping her to finally accomplish her goals.
The bill signing was attended by municipal officials who were in Sacramento to attend a foster care conference.
Regina Deihl, executive director of Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting of San Mateo, a non-profit organization, called this year's legislative package ''huge'' for youths and families. As a result, she said, social workers will have more manageable case loads and foster parents will be able to communicate more effectively with judges.
Bass said she and dozens of advocates would ''celebrate'' immediately after the bill signing -- by getting together to plan their agenda for the next legislative session, which begins in December.